


Reformation

by Lunaarz



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Asexual Zenos yae Galvus, Au Ra Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Aymeric de Borel / Warrior of Light (Implied), Cannon Divergent, Canon-Typical Violence, Dubious Consent, F/M, Fed-up Warrior of Light, Female Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood, Garlean Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Multiracial Character, No Beta, Past Rape/Non-con, Touch-Starved Zenos yae Galvus, Vaginal Fisting, We Die Like Men, Zenos yae Galvus Has Feelings, implied/referenced underage non-con
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-02
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:41:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 52
Words: 52,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26242819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lunaarz/pseuds/Lunaarz
Summary: What if the WoL and Prince Zenos met before their first showdown at Rhalgr’s Reach? What if they’re actually… good for each other?Actively Releasing Part 2: Updating with 2-3 new chapters every Wednesday (Changed from Tuesday)!
Relationships: Zenos yae Galvus/Warrior of Light
Comments: 28
Kudos: 167





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a slightly indulgent fic to satisfy my craving for a disgruntled WoL x Ace-spec Prince Zenos pairing. NSFW chapters will be specifically marked, they give insight into Zenos’ personality, but plot wise are mostly skippable - if you care about that sort of thing. Cannon divergent Stormblood AU, bleeding into SHB eventually – let’s see where this goes. I'm putting a tentative chapter count, but I really won't know for sure until I decide what I want the end game to be. All hail the longfic.

Autumn heard whispers of a powerful monster that had taken roost under Mason’s Falls in the Peaks of Gyr Abania. It was close enough to a settlement that she – the scions – couldn’t ignore the threat. Not that she minded the task, killing difficult monsters was what she was best at, what she enjoyed best. Wrapped up between wars on two fronts, felling monsters and primals was something she learned ought to be considered a luxury.

Ren cooed, ruffling his mint green feathers underneath his barding when she brought them to a halt. True to the rumors, the waterfall towered over all, and at its base stood an A-rank monster. But, she quickly noticed they were not alone – not to her surprise. Ranked hunts like these tended to gather attention in the Shroud. But the more she thought about it, she had expected to be alone, she was fighting in this far flung country because they didn’t have means to defend themselves. This area should be starved for talent. Autumn splashed down into the shallow water and walked to the man observing the beast.

The person was huge – at least as tall as an a Roegadyn if not taller. With his back turned, his golden ponytail fell past his exposed shoulders. If his face matched his body… Autumn felt the embarrassing wash of desire.

_Get yourself together._

She turned to her as she spoke up, “Greet-”

The sound died on her lips when she saw the bump in the middle of his forehead.

Garlean.

“Greetings,” she tried again, failing miserably to hide her surprise mixed with a drop of fear.

The stranger looked at her with a predatory gaze. She felt the back of her neck prickle as he released a dominating aura which screamed to every fiber in her body to back away.

Her eyes went to his waist where his Katana rested, hand flexing around the handle – a warning.

She held her ground recognizing the quiet fight for dominance, “Stay your sword, all I’m here for is the hunt like you.” He unsettled her, no person giving such rise to her senses before. It was clear they were both caught unaware – not of each other in a physical sense – but in terms of power. There was something beautiful and rare to be seen, two powerful being crossing unassuming paths, like two great monsters, two dragons, a memorizing sight standing side by side.

Cool blue eyes met hers as he sauntered over. She felt like shrinking back so she stood taller. He oozed power. “Were you going to kill it alone?”

“If need be. It appears if you intended to do the same.”

“Hmmm,” he drawled thoughtfully. “It makes for passable entertainment.”

“Without armor?” her eyebrow nudged upwards. His blatantly bare pectorals were staring her in the face. She wanted to look away, but she got the sense of a competition between them – she would lose if she backed away.

“I wished to make it a fair fight,” he sounded half-bored.

Autumn understood the curiosity dancing behind his words, “If you do not mind company, I would be happy to help.”

“To… help? I thought you were here to kill – but nonetheless I understand your intent. I will concede to sharing my hunt because I think you can entertain me further. But you must forego your armor.” He added quickly.

“What?” She cursed her slip of confidence.

“It shouldn’t be a problem for someone like you, more so now that you have… help.” The man’s ponytail swished when he turned his intense gaze back to the bird.

Autumn hid behind a rock, pulled off her armor, and dressed into a plain band to cover her chest, linen pants to cover down to her ankles. She seated her katana at her hip.

When she came to stand back at his side, she held her tongue. Everything about this man seemed to make her defiant.

He noticed her weapon, “You have skill with the Katana?”

She nodded, “I grew up in Othard.”

“Hmmm.”

Autumn took a step forward, “Are you ready?”

“I give you first blood.”

She sprinted for the monster, Vochstein it was called. She leapt forward once just within range, aiming for its left wing.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the early support!
> 
> This week is one chapter, next week will be 2 more. I will warn you again at the top of chapter 4 next week for the double post.

Zenos watched her quietly, smiling devilishly. Her aim and intent were as precise as carving up a bird for dinner. This woman was more than capable.

When she was done, drenched in blood, she marched back with an annoyed glint in her eye.

He cut her off, “You didn’t need my blade after all. Watching was truly a treat.”

She grumbled in response.

“Exhilarating wasn’t it?” He was hopeful. “You live for these moments – when all hangs in the balance… when the difference between life and death is but a single stroke.”

She paused to chew over his words, and sighed tension relaxing from her shoulders as they struck a careful, amicable balance. “It was terrifying, knowing how closely I flirted with death. But-” she chewed her lip, “You’re right – a bit crazy, but right.”

“I didn’t expect to find a worthy opponent out here, but I won’t deny my good fortune. You will spar with me.”

“I-” she hesitated. She owed him nothing but found her fingers itching to take up her blade. “I have yet to see your skill, so I feel cheated today.” She placed a tentative hand on her weapon. If he had been posturing, she would find out quite quickly and punish him for his lies.

His eyes lit up, “good.”

They crouched in tandem, readying their blades and shot off with equally matched speed. Like comets hurtling towards one another. A clear “shink” of metal resonated through the impromptu amphitheater over the drumming of the water.

Autumn felt the sting of a fresh wound – a deep one – on her arm. She grimaced but turned about face and leapt back into the fight. The exchanged a flurry of blows, spraying up halos of water in a deadly display.

“Don’t hold back!” he shouted, “You can’t kill me, not like this. Show me your claws.”

He irritated her. If he didn’t care for his safety, then neither would she.

She charged forward again – striking harder, spinning and slashing faster. She heard him hiss when she managed to leave a mark across his chest.

She was taken aback by his smile - damn Masochist.

Despite the small holes she found in his stance, she never managed to put him on the defensive. He was strong, overpowering, and towering over her. The man fought her back, parrying her every movement until the end. Finding his opening, Autumn found herself with a blade poised against her throat, and her sword hand immobilized.

It clattered to the ground with a splash.

To leave a mark on me, you are a worthy opponent indeed. I have not experienced such a battle in ages.” He sheathed his blade. “You weren’t even at your best.” He walked forward, “Oh, how I was right about you.”

Blood dripped down her arm and into her hand. She performed an eastern bow in thanks for the match. Then, calling upon her soul of the white mage, she quickly healed her injuries. That man had put her through hell.

He watched intently. For once magical talent was not a gift wasted on the weak, he thought idly.

“I can heal your injuries if you want,” she offered cautiously. His expression was foreboding but running now would only give way to chase. She would hold her ground.

“… would you?”

“Certainly, it is the least I can do.” She picked up her blade and walked to stand in front of him. Bringing a white glow to her fingertips, she traced her hands over the cuts he had amassed and smirked quietly to herself as she watched his carefully hidden, but amazed expression.

Zenos felt her soft fingers ghosting over his skin, the itchy feeling of wounds closing, the cool touch of magic radiating from her. How long had it been since he had been touched by another?

“There all better!” she stepped back.

Quiet for a moment she spoke up again, “Thank you for an exciting afternoon. I haven’t been bested by an opponent for quite some time, so my pride is a little shaken.” She laughed half-heartedly, “I would hate to cross swords with you as an enemy.”

“You are worthy prey-”

 _Prey,_ _a bizarre choice of words_. She thought. She didn’t like feeling like a piece of meat.

“Prey? If anything, it is you who are the prey.” She cut him off, “I will catch-up to you and hunt you down. You shouldn’t allow yourself to become complacent.” Autumn countered with a confident smirk.

He laughed, truly. It was a warm sound.

“My worthy opponent, I should have you come with me. We could spend our days training together. I must see you in peak form.”

She leaned back in surprise, “You will do no such thing. We can arrange a sparring session, but you can’t seriously expect me to be able to come with you.” She replied in credulously, “And you cannot keep calling me that if you were to see me again. My name is Amber.” She gave a fake name without missing a beat. 

Zenos mulled over the rejection while she prattled on. She didn’t recognize him, so it was reasonable his demand be met with outrage. If he revealed himself to her… it might make for a good chase, but in the long term it would only lead to ruin.

“You are permitted to call me Z.” He chose the long game.

“Zie? That is an unusual name for a Garlean.” It was the first time either of them breached the subject of their races.

“You, too, have an unusual name for a Garlean, halfling,” he countered her with a smug look.

She wilted under his piercing gaze.

“You have scales and a tail, but no horns. You’re far too tall to pass as half-Hyur.” He reached up and touched the center of her forehead with the pad of his thumb. “It’s raised,” He assessed.

Autumn took a step back and brought the tips of her fingers to the spot he touched. “My mixed blood is no secret. If you were hoping to find amusement there, you will be disappointed.”

“No.” He brought his hand back down, rubbing his thumb and index finger behind him. “I just haven’t seen many of your kind. Being half-dragon certainly suits you – such ferocity.”

She coughed, “Well, Zie if you wish to meet again, perhaps not so close to a settlement. South of the Velodyna Bridge there is a cave system that is hard to get to but relatively undisturbed – the Comet’s Tail. Have you heard of it?”

“Yes, I expect you there - tomorrow?”

 _Tomorrow,_ she kept her surprise over his eagerness to herself. She could do tomorrow – the future was always uncertain. It was never a good idea to postpone things.

“You don’t have duties? I won’t pry, but I assume you are from the around here. It would be folly for the empire not to recruit someone with skills like yours.”

“I do as I please.”

“I won’t question it then. I will meet you there tomorrow.” She agreed.

“Until then, beast.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double post day! If you're subscribed, and see this note, you're on the right chapter (9/15)

Autumn unbelted her katana and laid it on the dresser at the foot of her bed. She heard a knock.

“It’s me.”

“You can come in, Alphinaud.”

He opened the door and immediately retreated back with a shudder. “You smell awful! And your hair! Your hair is… pink and brown.”

“Blood - It was a bird type – better than insect types.” She commented casually.

“As you say.” He came back in with as much decorum as he could muster, nose wrinkling in dissatisfaction.

“What did you need? I’d rather not stand here covered in bird blood longer than I have to.”

“Ah, right, we will be heading out at dawn to the meet the resistance tomorrow. I just wanted to let you know.”

“Where is it?”

“I am not sure exactly, but I was told the entrance is to the north. Why?”

“I have plans, but I can make it in time.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” the younger elf made quickly for the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Right.”

Once he left Autumn dipped behind her privacy curtain and into a hot bath. She sank against the tub, breathing in and out the scent of peppermint blissfully slowly.

She was tired but energized. Zie, the Garlean man she had met was cause for concern – she knew could not best him in a fair fight. If she had to fight against him in the upcoming war…

It was pointless to think about that. All she could do was get stronger and face him as an equal. She recalled the thrilling churn of adrenaline through her veins as they sparred. He fought with deadly ferocity she had never experienced before. In just one battle he made her realize how much further she had to go, how she could not grow complacent.

It was all too easy to do just that.

 _This damnable war…_ Though her eyes were closed as she lay in the tub, her forehead wrinkled to give away her strife. She hated it – the war – moreso now that there was a face to put to her aspiration.

 _I can’t get stronger plodding along like this. Something has to change._ She acknowledged. There were no primals to slay - _just men who couldn’t give up,_ she supplied from the dark recesses of her mind. It was the tiny seed of discontent growing in her heart. She could feel the blackness creeping in where she should feel humility and pity.

Autumn huffed, “Really, what are you doing.” She spoke into the steam. She never thought she would grow so bored so fast after leaving Ishgard.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning!! If this is the first thing you see, you may have skipped chapter 3.

It was not quite noon when their caravan arrived at Rhalgr’s Reach. Reaching the gates, Autumn grabbed Alphinaud by the shoulder. “They know what we look like, and I can find my way back. I apologize for absconding so quickly, but I need to be off now.” She said with half-concealed, and nearly giddy haste.

“But we haven’t met with the leaders yet!” he cried over impropriety. She winced, of course there were people to please and impress.

“We are here for your tactical mind. Unless Garlemald has summoned up primals, I am but mantlepiece. You don’t have room to complain, you sprung this on me in less than 24 hours.”

Alphinaud looked as if he were about to protest.

“Go on,” a new voice interjected into their dispute, “Alphinaud will be fine without you, but you will be missed.”

“Thank you Lyse.” She blitzed into a purple cloud, taking the Aetheryte back to Castrum Oriens to save time. From the castrum, she hopped on the back of her chocobo, and blazed off into the forest, the noon heat heavily obscured by the thick foliage.

As they rode, she felt light and free with the wind rushing past her. Bubbling with excitement, never had she openly defied their plans like that.

“Zie!” she saw his small encampment.

“You’ve actually come.” His bored expression crept into something more curious. No one was ever excited to see him.

“I was delayed by some unexpected plans, but – I might actually have to thank you – I left as soon as I could,” she huffed, jogging over. “I made it known it was a waste of my time.” Her small jailbreak left her feeling high.

“Good,” he crossed his arms with a self-satisfied look. “As you should have done.”

“It felt so good!” she exclaimed, “I didn’t even realize how much I just go along with whatever they say – I don’t normally have a reason not to, but now I do. So,” she flushed a little and finished quietly, “Thanks.”

“I feel a little, not guilty… mmmm exhilarated,” she added, “playing hooky to meet up with ‘the enemy’,” she said in a mockingly menacing voice.

“We leave those things behind here, little dragon. The only thing that matters is our skill. I have been eager to see it in full.”

She looked at him curiously, “Most Garleans wouldn’t dare to consort with a half-breed savage so easily. You are quite different from the rest.”

“I only consort with those whose blades are worthy of my attention and anyone else in my way will be cut down. This is how I discriminate. If you fail to impress me, I will kill you too.”

“Your candor is refreshing, if not a little severe, princeling.” She glossed over the blatant death threat. He didn’t have the same menacing aura she experienced the first time they met.

“What?” His gaze turned murderous. Just as she thought they were past that, it was back. She dug her heels in.

“If you’re not going to call me by my name, I cannot help but retaliate. Princeling suits you well. You act like one, all high and mighty.”

Zenos softened in amusement, “Very well. Come, draw your blade against me.”

“You fight with the Katana again,” she pulled out a new weapon, “today, I will use my rapier.”

“I care not.”

“Hm?” she pressed him, “you seemed so interested in my magic yesterday, I thought I might give you a full demonstration.”

She knew exactly what he wanted he thought with a delightful shiver. “You will lose all the same.”

She guffawed at his boldness, “I will lose by less and less and less till finally the blade is at your throat not mine.”

“I hope for nothing less.” He felt a smile tugging at his lips – a wholly unfamiliar feeling.


	5. Chapter 5

Sweat plastered her hair to her forehead at the end of their fight. “Please tell me there is food.”

“And if there wasn’t?”

“I guess I need to kill something.”

“It is taken care of – stew,” he lifted the lid.

“And you can cook,” she breathed in deeply, letting the aromas waft up into her nose.

“I hunt alone, so I can manage these basic things.”

She plopped down next to him and took the bowl he offered. “You built a tent and a fire; I’m starting to think you’ve moved in.”

“I plan to stay for a couple of days, yes. I heard about a rare beast lurking in these woods – I will draw it out and kill it.”

“Rare? Another elite mark?”

“Your people call it an S-Rank. I find myself interested in observing your skill against a more formidable opponent. You should participate.”

S ranks were rare. In her whole career as an adventurer turned savior in Eorzea, she had only ever come across three – a Gyr Abanian mark would be a first.

“I-” she looked to the mouth of the cave. “I shouldn’t be gone too long. …They may start to worry.”

“A huntress need not concern herself with the squawking of lesser creatures. All that matters is what you want, and how you will remove the obstacles in your way.”

“I want to hunt, but-”

“Then hunt.”

“But,” she hesitated. Alphinaud would kill her for going missing.

“They don’t matter,” he rebuffed.

“But they do! I’m going to get a tongue lashing when I get back.”

“Their insignificant lives will carry on without you.”

“Gods, I hope so.” She sighed. He hit a pain point.

“I’d like you to join me on this hunt.” He was unused to asking for things… politely. But he wouldn’t give in to his basest desire to overpower her. This morsel he sought would be far sweeter the longer he left it to ripen. “Your little angelic act makes me yawn. It would be a shame for me to grow bored of you so soon.”

“…angelic act” She huffed, “My concern for them is not an act.”

Zenos raised an eyebrow, “And what about them exactly concerns you? Will they walk off a cliff if not under your watchful eye? Pick a fight they can’t win? Good – those stupid enough to forfeit their own lives deserve such a fate. Must I remind you that you appear to be here to escape them?” He looked at her, her eye twitched, “Has it ever crossed your mind that they will never seek to look after themselves because they do not need to? Do you ever wonder that they keep you chained to your duty by weaponizing pity? Pitiful, weak creatures, aren’t they? I do commend them though for using the tools they have at their disposal.”

“Weaponizing pity?” she remarked incredulously, “They are not like that.”

“No? The weak don’t flock to you begging for your aid? They don’t tell you a sob story about how some beast tribe stole their food and their village will starve without it? Do they revere you, or do they expect you to help them because that’s what they’ve been conditioned to know? Tell me this, are you a person or a weapon to them?”

“A-” she faltered. “I’m a person,” she replied slowly, bringing her hand to her heart, “I’m a person and yet… as to why I am here, running away from my problems, I suppose its because I don’t feel like I’m being treated that way. I don’t feel… right anymore.”

“You’re here because I’ve given you a better offer, have I not?”

She nodded, “You’ve given me an offer that interests me greatly.”

“Then perhaps the reason your struggling is because they have nothing more to offer and you’ve deluded yourself into thinking your motives were about duty.”

He was right. She was bored, and he was right as much as she wished he wasn’t. She hated it. She felt shame crawling around in her chest.

“I don’t think you feel guilty for them, but for yourself.” He leveled with her, pressing her further, “You know how normal people are expected to feel but you know you’re different, above that, above them.”

“I can’t,” she whispered.

“And the dragoness speaks the truth.” He grinned.

She glared at him.

“Now that I’ve corrected your misconceptions, would you be honest with yourself and accept this hunt?”

She gritted. Such arrogance – yet she could find no fault with his logic even though her conscience fought against his words.

She wanted to hunt, wanted to experience the joy of flexing her prowess and testing herself. A joy that was borne of voluntary struggle. If she declined, would she regret it? How much time would she spend wondering about the missed mark? Would she come to regret when she fully realized that all she would return to was menial labor?

She would.

“Fuck it,” she swallowed her pride in an inexplicit admission of truth. I’ll stay, but,” she turned to face him with a cross expression, “let the record show that you’ve manipulated me – openly admitting to baiting me with a “better offer”. I give you a day and suddenly I’m here for a week. You weasel.”

“I have baited you; I have manipulated you,” he grinned smugly, “and it appears to have worked. I have no reason to conceal my intentions, or… perhaps is my honesty unsettling? Are you unused to that back home?” He suppressed a wicked grin, knowing full well what he was implying.

She paled. In truth, she could think of times when the truth was concealed from her as to “cause less worry”.

“If I had to name a good trait about you, it would be your honesty. The moment I mentioned a rare beast, oh how your eyes brimmed over with desire, honest desire. I was drawn here, for the selfsame reason – that flicker of interest, that drive demanding that I test my blade against a new foe. We are kindred spirits; It should come as no surprise I know what it is you desire most, especially when you wear your emotions so.” He watched Autumn’s face pinch into something undiscernible.

“Underneath the barbs, you’ve given me much to think about. I feel like I should be… upset that is, and I am, but… not with you.” she hastily added, downing the rest of her soup. Autumn was amazed. Within two days this stranger could figure her out and could anticipate her desires. He knew how to dangle a gift before her like a carrot with the confidence she would take it. It was upsetting – in the months, nay, years she had been with the scions, they still haven’t figured out the things that he has. She shook her head. She was here to selfishly escape her problems, not to confront them.

“Since you seem to know what I want, don’t leave me waiting,” She stood up and stretched her arms. “No weapons this time.”

He stood. “An excellent proposition.”

The two squared off in a bend in the cave, the light was low, it would add to the challenge. She circled for a time before throwing a quick jab to test the waters. Zie blocked and brought his knee up sharply but Autumn jumped into a backflip to avoid him, and then spun her legs in a sweeping motion aiming for his head. The Garlean caught her by the leg and pulled her in, jabbing her in the ribs twice in quick succession before she stomped squarely on his chest and pushed herself away.

Autumn blocked his incoming fist with her forearm, directing its motion to the side, and managed to hook his leg – he stumbled, but used his forward momentum to roll and pop -up behind her. She sprinted forward to create distance before whirling around in a half-piroutte and into a wide stance.

There was little she could do as he tackled her to the ground. She exhaled sharply on impact, dizzy form the force. But her limbs moved on their own as she tried to worm her way out of his various holds. She managed to elbow him solidly to his face once, and even slammed into his forehead, aiming for the eye. That earned her a wicked smile and a gasp of pain from her counterpart – that extra eye was sensitive she knew. Legs finally cleared from underneath, she hooked around his torso and pushed, wrenching her arms free and quickly staggered to her feet. He jumped up in a fluid motion and rushed at her again. She was backpedaling, and he would take advantage of that. She ducked down and moved backwards quickly, rolling to change her momentum.

Finally, they circled once again. He sprinted forward, and she caught his fist – to her surprise. He ripped it free and used her moment of weakness to kick her legs out from under her again.

No longer having the strength to grapple with a man easily three times her weight, with his forearm pressed to her neck, she relaxed and rest her head against the ground.

“Do you yield?” His fingers were dug into her neck with biting force.

“Yes,” she whispered through ragged breath.

She looked up at him, hovering over her with vicious killing intent – she had much to learn if she wanted to rise to his level. She flushed. She could feel his breath on her face, the tickle of his hair fallen astray of its hold. He loosened his hold of her throat.

Zenos rolled back on his heels, “You did well. I was impressed that you were able to escape my grasp the first time on the ground.”

Dazed, Autumn propped up on her elbows, “I used most of my stamina to do it. I could not manage a second time. You weigh so much more it’s unfair.”

“You should not have allowed yourself to be tackled if you know it is your weakness.”

“Hah,” she barked, “easier said than done. You’re a boulder.”

“We will keep practicing. You’re used to being the bigger one in fights, but you don’t hold your center properly to fight someone like me.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double post week. This is the first post of the release day 9/29

Autumn went to her bird, “I need to feed Ren.” Not expecting to be gone overnight, all she had were gysahl greens. She fed him, and rummaged through her pack, grabbing a change of clothes and some liquor.

She sat down with the bundle, “Care for a drink?” she offered him the flask.

“Savage liquor? I’ll try anything once.” He took a swing and sputtered.

Autumn snickered, “It’s Lominsan. Cheap and harsh, but very potent.”

She knocked back a shot of it with a smack to her lips.

“It’s just bad.” He replied.

“Yeah… it’s just bad,” she laughed, “More for me then?”

Zenos huffed, unimpressed.

After sitting in silence, listening to the crackle of the fire, Autumn felt the pleasant buzz of lower faculties. It was stupid – probably – to lower her guard in front of someone so obviously dangerous, but there was also something obviously straightforward. He would kill fairly, and take an opponent head on, only when at their best. The notion was oddly noble.

“I wonder what kind of drunk you are,” she thought out loud. “I bet you’re a cuddly drunk, since you’re fighty when you’re sober.”

“I’m never drunk,” he sounded scandalized. “And I’m not…” Him? Cuddly? Ridiculous! Who would dare touch him so familiarly?

“Never? I guess you have size on your side. I don’t know if I have enough to find out.” She swished the fluid around to test the volume.

Zenos snatched the flask from her and her liquor. This earned him a frown from his companion. “Even if you did, I wouldn’t.”

She crawled over and ripped the flask out of his hand. She was squarely in his lap. He felt her tail crawling around on his thigh setting his skin ablaze. “You said you didn’t want any.”

“I said nothing of the sort,” he purred.

She shivered.

She frowned, recalling that he was technically right. “You all but said it,” she replied.

“Are you fond of being in my lap, my beast?” He teased her. “I thought you were a dragon, not a housecat.”

Autumn looked down, and then back up at him. “Oh,” she said softly, “sorry.”

He plucked the flask from her fingers and polished it off. She was clearly plastered after so little. The beast lurking underneath her skin was clearly interested in him. To live, to eat, to breed – this was the nature of humanity which he surpassed, yet even the pinnacle of their talent found herself bowing to those desires. Was no one immune?

You’re going to drink it all! She protested.

“Calm down, little dragon. I have more.” He went to his pack and refilled her canteen with mostly water – a little brandy for flavor. He would gift a bottle of proper Garlean liquor to her one day he thought idly, show her what civilized people drank. That savage swill was a sad facsimile of proper libations.

Her lips formed a placated pout.

“You really can’t drink much can you?” He was glad to have taken it away from her, for she was becoming less amusing… more irritating. Something about viewing her basest form, stripped bare of her sensibilities and cleverness, she was much less interesting. To see it was like seeing through the veil – he did not want to see.

“Nope!” she popped the ‘p’ in the word. “That would’ve lasted a couple of days.” She drank from her flask. With bated breath he waited for his bait and switch to be found out.

Hearing no whines from the troublesome girl he relaxed, “Reduced to a simpleton, you no longer hold my attention. Go lay down before you embarrass yourself further. We start our hunt tomorrow.” He waved her away with a lazy flick of his wrist.

She flopped on top of the blanket without protest.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double post! If you're seeing this first on 9/29, then please go back one chapter.

Autumn woke up in a fog. “I’m sorry.” Was the first thing that crossed her lips.

“You’re up. I’ve never watched a person sleep before. It is noisier than I expected.”

“You were watching me sleep!?” She wasn’t sure which she was more shocked by – that he clearly implied to have never shared a bed, or that he was being purely creepy.

“For a time,” he admitted whimsically, “you do this growling thing and smack your lips.”

“I do not snore!”

“So, it is called snoring… As you say.”

She pulled herself over to the campfire. “About last night… thank you for putting up with me.”

He turned to look at her, “I admired your boldness,” he taunted. “No one has plopped right in my lap before.”

She was irritated and flustered, “Does that have anything to do with your inexperience with partners in bed?”

The corners of his eyes crinkled mirthfully, “So you’re on about that-? I’m not in the habit of permitting those who have outlived their usefulness to remain.”

Oh. OH. Her face flamed.

She blushed, embarrassed and turned away. “So… what is the plan?” There was no getting around the awkward jump in conversation, but she wouldn’t allow herself to be teased further.

He gave her a look but relented. “I’ve heard this beast likes the stench of blood. If we start decimating the forest population and smear the carcasses everywhere, we should draw it out in a few days’ time.”

“Ugh, it’s never a clean fight. That’s fine, but we can’t get too close to Baelsar’s wall, or the stench of death will give cause for guards to come and investigate.”

“Add their entrails to the pile.” He said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“What!? No. We are not murdering soldiers and starting an incident. That will cause me more problems later,” she rubbed her temples, “Okay. I’ll handle Eorzean patrols, but – seriously – don’t go too far north. I’d rather spend more time waiting for monsters in the southern woods, than have to explain why there was a mass extinction event in the forest and why I was seen with an unidentified Garlean.” She bit her lip wondering if this would work, “if I get detained for our activities, I would be hard pressed to be able to escape and find time to spar with you again.”

He wanted to tell her that she would never be able to escape him, that he would find her and pluck her from her filthy cage if she dared to hide from him – after all he permitted her to return. But he held his breath. While she would still come to him of her own volition there were bonds to be built. He was not unaware of the ardor his existence generated by some particularly zealous followers. Love was a powerful thing. He needed her love, he needed to possess her talents to satisfy his own selfish desires. Only she would be able to give him proper sport, proper entertainment in his life, he was almost certain she could not disappoint. 

“Fine.”

-

The monsters of the woods of Gyr Abania were on a whole different level than those of Eorzea just on the other side of the wall. In a deadly rampage she jolted her target and then leapt in close to slash their vitals. Over and over again as monsters wandered into her circle of death, she did this. Mindlessly killing, she turned her hunt into a dance. Finding the most elegant combination of moves to fell as many Diakkas and Leshys as possible, it made things less boring.

Zenos watched her twirl from a cliff above. Never before had he been struck, completely blinded and awed by such beauty. And she was at the center of it all, blood flying through the air like waving red scarves in an eastern dance, a shining metal blade moving like a fan she waved in time with the music her body made. Every footfall in the leaves was the melody beneath the chorus of dying moans. Her arms and legs moved in perfect, practiced motions like a dancer. Her pale eyes were distant yet bright, more focused on her art than the death before her. He felt tightness in his chest – emotion – bearing witness to another’s indescribable perfection. She was undoubtedly worthy. He wanted to do something – perhaps laugh – to get the lightness out of his chest. It was a wholly unfamiliar feeling, the flickering joy and emotion which had been long snuffed out. He never expected to be gratified by her so soon.

He was not unaware of the intense pull he felt, but he would ignore what it meant up until he could deny her no longer. She sparked something new in him, something that came with the hope he had found his fated, ultimate hunt. That he could he be felled be her blade, no thought brought him greater joy. She would complete him in his quest for perfection or annihilation – he was not yet sure of his fate.

Surveying the carcasses strewn around her, she lowered her blade. The world came crashing back to her and she noticed him. Turning sharply, she met his eyes with a gentle gaze. _Oh, it’s just you._ It said. The monster within her acknowledged the monster within him, two dragons of the same brood. Their equality was what tore down his barriers. If it was her, he was no longer unapproachable, untouchable. Did he dare yearn for that?

He jumped down to land in front of her and began walking back, letting her follow in his wake ever a half step behind.

“How many were you able to kill?” she asked him once their camp was in sight.

“10 Diakkas, 40 of those wood abominations-”

“Leshys,” she corrected him.

“-and about 50 sprites.” Those things are like roaches.

She laughed, “Useful roaches. There were more Diakkas down where I was. I killed about 40 of them, but only 20 Leshys. I left the sprites alone.”

“It will take some time for these woods to repopulate,” she continued. “We can check back tomorrow morning, but we may need to wait an extra day.”

He nodded.

“Well, I don’t know about you,” they had reached her bird and her supplies, “But I want to wash off.” She stroked the neck of her feathered beast. She blushed, petting the bird more vigorously in her flustered state, “you should make yourself scarce for a little bit, yes?”

He stared at her, unable to say anything. “I’ll let you take Ren for a walk,” she pushed the reigns into his hands, and curled his fingertips around the leather, “It will give you something to do for ten minutes.”

She forcefully spun him around and pushed him out of the cave. So stunned by her forcefulness, he was amused. No one dared to do such a thing – except her. He found himself thinking that a lot.

Zenos looked at the bird. He ruffled his feathers and clicked his tongue in response.

“So you know what the word walk means?” Zenos asked it. The bird cocked its head to the side curiously at the mention of “walk”.

He willed his legs to move back in the direction of the forest, “Stupid bird.”

After what he felt was a sufficient amount of time for bathing, he ventured back to the cave. If he saw something he wasn’t supposed to – really – it was her fault for taking too long. He saw a glow of white in the cave, his beast, and her halo of stark white hair. He tied the bird back where it was pushed onto him and rejoined his huntress.

“Perfect timing.” She grinned. “The water was colder than hell frozen over, but it’s better than the stench of bear blood. Speaking of,” she leaned over and sniffed him, nose wrinkling in offense. “It’s your turn. I’ll go walk Ren some more.”

He reached out and caught her by the wrist. “It is getting dark, just stay put. Watch, don’t watch,” he smirked, “I’m not a shy maiden.”

“A maiden!?” She was offended.

He sauntered off, leaving her fuming. “You shameless bastard!” she muttered.

She laid down facing the wall. Sleep caught up with her quickly.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double post week 10/6 this is the first chapter of the week.

They would have to wait another day. When Autumn woke, Zie had already gone and returned with news of the forest population.

“Leave me be,” she groaned contently underneath her blankets. Autumn hated mornings.

Zenos sat back on his bed roll and pulled out a stack of reports. _Might as well work._

Autumn rose when he was 2/3 of the way through a dense aetheric research report for his Gyr Abanian team and budget projections for the rest of the period.

“Did you bring work with you?” She mumbled. “You must be high ranking if they’ve saddled you with paperwork.”

“Did you think I would be a mere foot soldier?” he said casually, “I knew this hunt would be a lot of sitting and waiting.” Quietly, he tucked it back into his bag. “I will be merciful only once, as this goes without saying… I wouldn’t try taking anything back to your Eorzean friends.”

He would be amused to see her try – he half hoped she might.

“Oh, and what would I tell them? That I have been getting cozy with some Garlean… Praefectus? Tribunus? A Legatus… well that mean you are Lord Zenos, and that’s just impossible. I doubt he leaves his palace unless it’s to commit genocide… You know… I really don’t want to know…while they were… never mind.” She stood up, “This thing,” she pointed between them, “is my little rebellion. I don’t intend to sabotage that.”

_Lord Zenos indeed,_ he puffed to himself. She didn’t need to know he was that answer which she clearly most feared – not yet. What delicate friendship they have managed to forge - he had never had a friend before - would change. Titles were unimportant… for now.

Standing up abruptly, “Well, I’m awake, so I can entertain you better than casualty reports and budgets can.” She held out her hand with a glint in her eye. He loved this look, demanding his attention like a queen.

He reached up slowly and took her hand. He didn’t need help standing up, but he did it, and they touched in this small way. He allowed her to touch him, he allowed himself to be touched. There was comfort in their anonymity.

“What does my little dragon have in mind?”

“We weren’t able to spar yesterday. How can I best you if I’m not constantly challenging myself?”


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The second post of double post week 10/6.
> 
> A bit of fluff for the soul

Autumn splashed in the wide, ankle-deep part of the river bend by their encampment. Her hair swung loose around her back, and she was overall very vulnerable – no shoes, gloves, armor, weapons.

She turned to Zenos watching her from the edge of the water, “Its hell as bathing water, but it feels good after a workout.”

She held out her hand, again, inviting him to her side. He looked at her hand. Would she really be so calm, so familiar if she knew who he was? Would she cower in fear before his reputation? Was this the price of being a prince? Just three days of living as a relatively common man and there was already someone willing and worthy to stand at his side.

He walked up to her. “Now what?”

“Hm?” He watched the flutter of her snowy white lashes in the damp, perpetual twilight of the cave. “Whatever you like. Just feel the pebbles, splash around. If you sit at the edge and stay really still fish will swim up and nibble at your toes!” she was gleeful.

“I will not allow fish to bite me. Disgusting.”

“It tickles actually; you should try it at least once - really.” She grabbed his hand and led him over to the edge. “You’re not afraid are you?” she challenged him with a teasing lilt. He acquiesced, allowing himself to be tugged down beside her.

“I don’t see the point of this.”

_Really this woman, she is too carefree._

Autumn stretched her legs out in front of her and pointedly ignored his grumblings. “Put your legs out like this and wait.” She watched her feet intently. Zenos could see the curious fish already coming up to see the disturbance. Why was he indulging her whims? He looked down between them. She was still holding his hand, like he was a friend, or someone precious to her. No one had ever wanted to do things with him; no one wanted him in such an innocent and precious way. He didn’t hate it. It was simply foreign.

They sat quietly, he focused on the feeling of her calloused fingertips brushed against his own. He could care less about the fish.

Zenos jolted violently. “What the!?”

Autumn giggled quietly. “The fish got you!”

He jolted again, “Another one! Why do you do this?” He pulled his feet out of the water.

“A-a-h!” she stuttered out between her giggled, “One got me!” She pulled her legs out of the water sharply and tucked her feet under her. “I wanted to share it with you. You cannot deny that you were entertained.”

“I am entertaining the thought of killing those fish,” he retorted.

“And ruin your precious blade against the stones in the shallow water? I think not.” She moved to stand, but with their hands still joined, Zenos tugged her attentions back.

“Oh,” she finally noticed his hold on her and tried to untangle their hands.

Zenos found himself chasing after her touch. He held on, grasping for her fingertips as they nearly slid from his grasp. She looked at him.

“I was watching you hunt down all those Diakkas yesterday,” he deflected, “tell me, you were thinking about dancing, weren’t you?”

“I-” she looked caught, “I was thinking about…” she looked away, “yes.” She finally admitted.

“None of the slaughter bothered you? Or were you hiding behind a fabricated challenge?”

“No?” she questioned the direction of his inquiry, “The dance in itself was a game, but certainly not to escape the violence… why?”

“Personal curiosity.” This was true. “Tell me more about your dance,” he asked, wanting desperately to relive those memories and feel even a fraction of an onze of the lightness and joy he felt back then.

“Well it all started when I was broke – I had just bought a house and they’re quite expensive…” she huffed, “One day I went to the Twelveswood to hunt. There was high demand for boar pelts you see. Out of a desire for efficiency, as I wove through hordes of them, I thought about how I could kill as many as I could, how I could take the fewest steps, use the fewest number of slices of my blade to achieve the best result. It made the grind, the sheer boredom of it all more fun. And…” she looked beck at him, nearly getting lost in his intense stare, “once I had mastered that, I layered in a final challenge to myself, to do all of those things and do it beautifully.”

“Do you feel as if you have achieved this goal?” he asked.

“She smiled, “It comes to me naturally now, so to dance is to enjoy that mastery to its fullest, to express it rather than to train it. The wonderful thing about a dance is that it can always change, so though there may not be a new challenge to be had, the difference emotions it can evoke, the feelings that I can revel in again and again, I find I never tire of it.”

He nodded, “A dance to celebrate death, to flaunt one’s superiority, their mastery. It was a most beautiful dance, no, _the_ most beautiful dance I have ever borne witness to.”

“I should feel bad for wasting that much life… It is a massive waste of life.” she protested his compliment, “I do it because I want the S-rank, or because I wanted to be able to earn a living, but it changes neither the mundaneness nor the wastefulness of the work.”

The corners of Zenos’ lips curled upwards, “It is boring, but necessary. If you are fulfilled, and your goals met then there is no waste. But even if there was, to feel bad about something like that would be foolish.”

“Why would I? The animals… their deaths were quick; they were weak and meant to be slaughtered as pests eventually. I was only bringing about the inevitable. The creatures I often kill in sport overrun the forest all the time. Eorzean units are dispatched from the Wall time to time to cut down their numbers.”

“You can see these beasts as pests to be inevitably exterminated, but not the weaklings who keep you chained up with noble ideals of duty?”

“Those weaklings are my…” she chewed her lips. They really weren’t her friends, “my companions. They’re people. It’s different.”

“Just because they’re people? That’s trite, boring. They hinder you, don’t they?” He said with confidence. “How much stronger would you be if you weren’t babysitting at The Wall?”

Autumn felt sick at his suggestion – because the darkness in her couldn’t deny how right he was. How he was practically an echo of her conclusions just the night prior. She bristled, but tried to carry on, unshaken. “Oh, I suppose I shouldn’t have mentioned that.” She realized that she gave away her current residence. Thank the twelve that she never mentioned the Reach.

“If you think that anything you say could be of any import to our plans, you’re woefully arrogant.”

 _What if I told you that I was the Warrior of Light?_ She would never say it, but the thought floated by. He was wrong.

She had to say something to that, but she really couldn’t. She looked at him with her mouth hanging.

“Since your participation in this is obviously a waste of your energies. Why are you here?” Zenos pressed her for more. He wanted to know; he was so close to hearing the gem of truth from her own lips – that they were the same. He wanted to hear it.

“Why am I here…?”

“The war. Why do you waste your talents here?” he clarified, “I’ll tell you my thoughts in return. Tis is only fair.”

“I have a… complicated relationship in all of this.” She bit her lip, “It’s hard for me to care about what happens to these people. I don’t know them; I’m not from here. It’s not personal… It’s… duty,” the word rolled heavy off of her tongue. She waved her arm to gesture at the cave, “I have a duty to aid these… to save these people from you and yours,” she nodded his direction, “because they would most definitely lose without my help.”

“You can’t best me, what makes you think they can win even with it?” he scoffed.

She dug her toes into the sand, “I don’t know. But I have a duty to try, and that duty… it’s hard to keep going on that alone, and only ever that.”

“And why do you have this duty?” he tilted his head, “if it’s because they aren’t us, that they are suffering... did you ever ask why you should help? Or do you just blindly march along like a foot soldier?”

Autumn was quiet. She hated his line of questioning. “If you had the power to change something and you didn’t, you were asked, and you didn’t, wouldn’t that make you a monster in the eyes of the people who’ve put their trust in you?” She asked earnestly.

“Why, yes. It does.” He replied simply, “I do not care. And those people who put their trust in me, do not dare demand things of me, no. They expect only what I promise, nothing more, nothing less. I control them, their expectations, everything. If you are in such an insulting situation it’s because everyone believes it is your… leaders who have the power, not you,” he pointed at her accusingly.

“I cannot lead. All I am good for is holding a sword.”

He looked amused, “Leaders can appease those under them, or they can lord above, setting a blinding example for all to aspire to. Your ‘leaders’, I imagine, are the former, but you…” he flicked his gaze over her body, appraising her, “you would be the latter, if you stopped wallowing in the inferiority complex they have clearly been spoon feeding you. You are worth far more than your sword, and it’s truly a pity if you are hearing it first from my lips.”

She looked at him, hoping to discern what exactly he was trying to achieve through his line of inquiry and suggestion. “I tire of being insulted-” she saw him ready to say something more, “- even if your intentions are well placed,” she stared him down and watching his question pass him by, “Tell me, since you so promised to trade, why are you here?”

Without breaking her gaze, “I’m here because it is better than being at home.”

“Home is… Garlemald?”

He nodded. “I left a life of boring luxury, empty words and politics, pointless socializations.”

“I came looking for a challenge but all I’ve found…. almost all I’ve found are pests.” He quickly amended his statement, “If they had just gone quietly, they would have suffered less, I would have suffered less tedium. I’d rather be elsewhere.”

“Like here?” That was something they shared.

“Quite so. The promise of a thrilling hunt, the exhilarating possibility that our dance will give cause to transcend our limits, truly, you are the kind of person I hoped to encounter when I first came to these savage lands,” He praised her earnestly. He was capable of giving credit where it was due.

“I have lived up to your expectations I take it?” her pale skin was tinged a rosy pink. She pulled her hand away.

“Yes, you are welcome to see me anytime.” From needing her talents to becoming completely smitten with the fierce dragoness before him, he was falling far too fast. The iron grip over his will was weakening, his lofty self-importance and the isolation it brought, he no longer strove to maintain. He sought to change her, to turn her, but he was the one changing. “I need to see how far I can push you, how much you can grow.”

She guffawed, “I can’t just strut across the bridge and announce that I am looking for you.”

“I would be most entertained if you tried. You could wipe them out if they bothered you. I wouldn’t be upset.”

“I don’t think Zenos would take too kindly to that. Wouldn’t you try to stop me before I got on his radar?”

“Lord Zenos would be amused.” He played along. “He might even praise you for weeding out the weak soldiers in his division.”

She laughed, “to be praised by Lord Zenos for such a thing, is he truly like the rumors, then?”

“You might even catch his interest. I expect nothing less of my favorite person.” He deflected the question.

“Favorite person- You’re ridiculous.” Autumn huffed.

“It’s lonely at the top,” He replied quietly tasting the foreign word on his tongue. “and not for wont of company,” Nothing was truer.

Those words weighed heavily on her, “Yes…” she leaned over slowly, settling her back against his chest, watching the ripples in the stream. “it is very lonely.” Her time with the Scions, her time as an eikon-slayer, a liberator, only pushed her higher and further away from the ever increasing horde of allies flocking around her.

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Pressing his nose into her hair that smelled fresh and earthy, like mint and oats.

“Zie,” she started quietly, flustered by the feeling of his breath tickling her ear. “You’ve all but said that people call you monster. Do you ever feel like a monster, do you believe them?” She looked up at him expectantly, “Sometimes I feel like if I take one wrong step, they will see me for what I really I am and fear me.”

“You are right, many people have called me as such, but I do not care about the opinions of insects. I am not inclined to dwell on the meaning of those words. Does it matter if I am a monster? Nay, only to the people who call me such does it matter.” He stroked his thumb across her collarbone, “You are worthy of sharing an opinion. Do you think I am a monster?”

“I don’t know. Maybe – the way you talk about human lives as if they were nothing, I’d say so. But if I am wont to call you that then I must call myself a monster too. Sometimes… you speak the things I dare only think.”

“And what do you think?” He could feel his heartbeat ever so slightly faster. Needling the truth from her – that he knew was there – it was his desire. He could see the dark aura shadowing her, how beautiful it was as it grew as her chains slowly corroded by his influence and set free.

She paused, letting the weight of her admission settle, “I did – at first – care that is,” she confessed, “but the more I was needed, the more I killed, it became easier to just let it wash over me.”

She was talking too much. To let her demons fly free she was scared of what she would say, scared that those feelings would become real if she dared speak them aloud.

He touched her face, “I can practically hear the dark thoughts crashing around in that pretty little head of yours. This is not the place to reserve yourself. This is not a place where I will judge you for embracing an honest side of yourself, a beautiful darkness that refuses to be ignored.”

She looked at the ground and swirled the pebbles with her fingertips, “I think if I did try - to care - I would lose my mind. Pretending is hard enough; it makes me painfully aware of that darkness in me you so pointed out – that I am different. It’s an obvious reminder that I am alone.”

“You and I, we are one in the same. I see it when we fight, the vicious killing intent, the desire to overpower and dominate. I am not afraid of you; I want to see more of it for that is when you shine my friend.”

“Friends,” she whispered. “Thank you, Zie.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another double post week. It's a bit late - I apologize. It's been. a . day. This is chapter 1/2 for the release on 10/13.
> 
> This one is a bit short, but the next is very long.

“Do you think we can draw it out today?” Autumn sharpened her rapier, focusing with every fiber of her being lest she cut her own hand. She was flustered and distracted, and it was about everything she could do to keep her eyes averted after he peeled his shirt off without warning. She suddenly had many things to do to prepare for the hunt ahead.

“Certainly. Three day old entrails and fresh meat- that should be a worthy offering. Spare no creature. When the S-rank comes, we don’t need distractions.”

Autumn wanted to bark out a laugh – for him to have the nerve to talk about distractions.

“Are you ready to go?” She sensed his figure loom closer.

Autumn looked up, “Yes-” and her expression morphed into one of surprise, “You changed. You’re wearing armor. You look like a real Garlean soldier now.” He was dressed in all black, trimmed with gold, a set of armor designed to be less conspicuous than his royal attire, but still conspicuously Garlean.

“I don’t feel like taking my chances. Though fully confident I would win, I am less confident that I might completely escape a injury. Cornered beasts will lash out with the most ferocity and be the most unpredictable.”

“Glad to see that you have some sense.” She stood up.

It was barely dawn when they left the cave, leaving a bloody trail in their wake. It was nearly noon when Autumn looked up from her pile of corpses. She left to find Zie.

“Zie? I’ve cleared my half of the for-” she stopped. There is was.

She slowly shuffled up to his side. “Magnificent,” she heard him whisper.

“So, this is the Udumbara.” She whispered. “Are you ready?”

“Yes.” He was eager.

Parroting their first encounter, she gave a shallow bow, “I give you first blood.”


	11. Chapter 11

Autumn let her sword fall form her grasp. Her chest heaved with exertion. Multiple heads, multiple poison attacks, vines and ground shattering stomping. It was finally over. The monster lay limply in a circle of devastation, turned up earth and broken trees.

“Zie,” he walked up next to her, ripping a spike that had lodged itself in his armor during the fight and tossing it away, “we did it,” she breathed.

“That was worth the wait.” Working alongside her, an equally matched companion was a pleasure he was eager to experience again. Their dance was complimentary, attacking in perfect rhythm, not a single dissonant note. Watching her at her best was different than fighting her at her best. He could truly appreciate her art and her conviction. He wanted, oh how he wanted.

“We really did it! Just the two of us and we are alive!” she flung herself at him and gave him a hug. Their armor crunched together at the contact, but she really didn’t care.

He hissed. She jumped back sharply, watching with wide eyes as he reached for his arm.

“Are you injured?!”

“Poison it seems,” he kept his voice flat. “It’ll take far more than that to cut me down.”

She felt reassured, “I can see to your wound back at camp. It will spread if I don’t take care of it quickly.”

He hesitated. Normally he just let these injuries run their course and have them treated when he returned. Magic was not an option where he was from. “If you insist.”

She huffed, “I do.”

Zenos, truthfully, became dizzy during the walk back but his steps never faltered – he would not show such a simple weakness. He sat down with a level of impressively slow, royal grace despite descending to a pebbled floor, injured, and in unfamiliar armor. Not moments after he settled, Autumn was at his side, hands flying to his gauntlets to pull them off.

“I’ve never seen a woman so impatient to undress me,” he tugged his hand back and his glove slid off. For the other he removed it himself.

Her eyes burned with an annoyed glint, “Where are you hurt?” - like she couldn’t believe he had the audacity to make light of her worry with crass jokes.

Seeing she would not have her emotions baited, he sighed, “Shoulder.” He knew he shouldn’t be so petulant because she was right. The longer the poison was in his system, the worse he felt. The decline was rapid. Undoubtedly, the poison was of a deadly variety, nothing to treat lightly – not as he just had.

She looked at his chest plate. “You’re going to have to help me or tell me how to take this off.”

“There are releases under my arms.” Gingerly, she reached around until she found the cords at his sides. She unlaced them, pulling gently at the strings, until his armor flapped loose around him. “Lean forward.”

He obeyed and she pulled it over his head. She gasped when she saw the black and purple mixture of bruising and rotting flesh. “Zie, this is really bad.”

“I need to take this sleeve off.” She quickly unlaced that and tossed it aside. She turned around and grabbed two flasks and a cloth. She inspected his wound.

“You’re not going to like what I have to say.”

“Do what you need to do.” He replied with forced nonchalance.

She grabbed her dagger. “I can use my healing powers to cleanse the poison from your body and repair the gash, but it can’t fix rotting flesh. I need to cut it out first.”

He nodded.

She doused his arm with water and then alcohol. He hissed.

Quickly she whipped around in search of something. “Hold this rock,” she turned back and gave him a large enough stone to wrap his hand around. “Do you want something to bite down on?”

“I’ll be fine. I have experienced worse.”

She got to work. He hissed and grunted, truly grateful for the rock to vent his suffering. The sound of her peeling his black flesh was squishy and spongy - disgusting. He refused make a sound of protest.

Autumn had finished scraping the perimeter of the wound clean. She saw the sweat beaded on his forehead. “Once I’m done, the healing will repair your flesh and you won’t have to endure any lasting pain. Just bear with me.”

He nodded.

This was the hardest part. For the deepest part of the fast acting rot, she had to dig the blade in and check the depth before twisting and flaying it out. Whatever had gotten him was barbed, and thus the extent of the rot was as deep as the barb had bit into his flesh. This light puncture would have been a complete skewering for anyone less skilled than they – it still made the task no less easy, nor less painful. Autumn heard him exhale forcefully through his nose from the pain. He was holding himself back. She peeled the chunk of muscle from his shoulder and tossed it in a small pile to the side. She rinsed the spot with water and form there was able to see what was left. “I’m almost done. You’re doing good.”

“For all your skill with a blade, you are certainly not a medicus.” He said sharply between breaths.

“No,” she said softly, “but whatever additional damage I caused to your shoulder can be repaired completely with magic. I truly apologize for the pain, had it been someone more skilled than I, perhaps you could have suffered less, but we really didn’t have the time.”

Once she was done, there was a bloody hole and pink flesh. Blood dripped down his shoulder, his arm, and was all over her hands. She rinsed the area one final time, before wiping and drying her hands. She pulled out her staff.

“I can cast cure now.” She gathered her aether, channeling it through the staff and let it flow over his shoulder. She watched as the black, infected blood vessels began to recede, and his inflamed angry skin began to stitch itself back up again. 

Exhausted, she lowered her arms, “How are you feeling?”

He brought his arm up and moved it in a small circle. He felt nothing amiss.

She placed her fingers over the new, pink skin and felt it for defects, “Are you in any pain?” She leaned in closer to examine the regrowth and nearly bumped noses with the man. He too wanted to see the transformation.

“No,” he replied softly, watching her writhe under his gaze.

She exhaled quietly, “good - that’s good.”

Zenos brought his hand up to pin hers against his newly repaired shoulder. Her eyes flickered over to the point of contact. “My friend,” he breathed, “thank you for doing this you… you didn’t have to.”

“I hardly deserve your thanks,” she looked down to the diminishing space between them, “I caused you much pain.”

“You spared me far more had it gone untreated for longer. Not one soul has offered me such kindness before, I-” he closed his eyes, “It is not necessary – this kindness – but -”

Each word from his lips was a shard of heartache in her chest – how could he speak as if he had never seen the goodness in anyone, never felt appreciation and love? Perhaps now, as a soldier she could believe it, but the melancholy resonated with her and spoke of a deeper neglect, an older one. She brought her other hand up to tuck his golden hair behind his ear – his hand flew to the touch and looked at her with suspicion.

What had been done to him to react in such a violent way at the gentlest of touches?

He realized his error when he saw the pity in her eyes for he was not a man meant to be pitied. Relaxing his vice-like grip on her hand, he brought her knuckles to nuzzle against his cheek. He lashed out at her gentle touch and was only repaid with pliant, willing fingers. She would not tremble before him.

“Are you not afraid of me?” He asked. Zenos had done enough to warrant wariness from her part. Beasts could smell dominance, to quickly discern if they were outmatched. He knew his place, as he suspected she knew hers.

“It would be remiss of me to fear you, you who have called me a friend.” She replied if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “I do worry for you though.”

“I don’t need your worry, your pity.”

“Would you rather me save my energies from someone weaker?” she quipped with a lopsided smile. She was starting to figure out what made him tick.

He huffed with amusement. A small bubble of a laugh escaped him. “I suppose not.”

“Then, permit me to care about you – it does no harm to your insurmountable strength I assure you. You deserve people who care about you, too.”

He had no words for such a proclamation. To agree with her would be to acknowledge the loneliness in his soul. To disagree would be to acknowledge that he does care about what others think of him. He wished to do neither. She trapped him well.

He assessed the women before him quietly. Did she even realize what she had done, how casually and cleverly she minced her words to ensnare him? He looked to her and felt an unusual pride she managed such a thing.

“Nothing to say?” her tone lifted at the end which told him that she, in fact, knew exactly the dilemma he faced.

He needed her - he needed to possess her. She who made him feel radiant joy, pride, anything and everything. Only she was capable; only she was worthy. “Amber,” the hushed name felt foreign on his tongue. He had never addressed her so directly. He reached out and collected her hand to nibble her fingertips and roll her fingers between his own.

She vibrated with energy when she heard her name, only muted by the twisted feeling of knowing it was a lie. “My hands haven’t been properly cleaned of your blood yet. You shouldn’t do that.”

“What of it? Do you not enjoy it?”

She flushed. She very much enjoyed his ministrations. It had been a long time since she had last done anything, nothing since the Dragonsong War.

“Nothing to say?” he parroted her back, tugging her forward. His hands sought further purchase over her body. He needed to feel her, to hear her dragoness heart that stood above the sea of jackrabbits before his menacing touch.

He settled her in his lap with her back pressed against his chest, one of his hands wrapped across her shoulders and around her neck. He could feel the strong pulse of her artery. She was warm as she melted against him, laying her head back against his unwounded shoulder, baring her neck to tease the fringes of his gaze.

Drawn to her weak point, he brought his lips to her neck. He felt the way her body shivered in response. She enjoyed it – was it thrilling? He ran his teeth against the thumping skin over her most precious point and bit down. He heard her gasp, hands clutching desperately at his thighs on either side of her. If he wished to rip a chuck of her neck out… perhaps he could do this. She knew it too.

When he released his hold over her, she twisted around sought his mouth, guiding him to her with commanding presses of her fingertips against the back of his head. Her lips were uncharacteristically soft – he expected a ravenous beast.

She pulled away quizzically and pecked at his lips again after finding no protest with a faint brush of her mouth against his. 

Understanding, he answered her with a third kiss of his own making, bruising, suffocating force working against her and she went happily limp in his arms to focus her energies on matching his enthusiasm. She knew he was anything but gentle but did not expect such passion from one so normally dispassionate.

When he began nipping at her lower lip with ravenous insistence, she pulled away. He let his head fall low to her shoulder, his breath tickling her breasts. Autumn let her hand go to his hair to run her fingers through his golden ponytail. It was falling loose, so she pulled the band out completely and let his gorgeous long hair float around his face. She gently scraped her nails across his scalp and felt him shivering underneath her.

“We should clean up properly and change,” she whispered. As much as she enjoyed being devoured by him, they were not in the best state for such activities. He was half naked – well maybe that wasn’t so bad – half armor-clad, and she was stained with bug juice, sweat and his blood.

“I’m not done yet.” Zenos kissed her again responding with petulance. He was completely intoxicated by the taste of her. She didn’t know Zenos. She didn’t want Zenos, to curry his influence or his power, or to save her own skin. If she wanted him, it was because she liked whatever she saw in him a just a man. In some twisted way, if she would have him, perhaps he was desirable – that someone could want him unselfishly.

“Mmm,” she pulled away reluctantly from his greedy lips, “We shouldn’t,” she said softly. He did not miss the desire in her eyes though – a look never directed at him. All he ever brought into the bedroom was fear. “I’m not adequately prepared for something like that,” her tail flicked nervously behind her.

“I have no desire to fuck you,” he said flippantly, “if that’s what you’re worried about.” He ran his hand down her chest, cupping her breasts.

She looked horrified, “What…?” at a complete loss for words.

“Ah,” he sighed in understanding, “but you do seem to want… something from me, yes? Even if your words,” he tapped her pouted mouth, “betray you.”

“You said you’re not interested, so,” her face was beet red, “I’m-”

“It doesn’t mean I won’t indulge you,” he dug his finger between her lips, “I have other desires that you can fulfill. That is what sex is, isn’t it? An exchange of desires?”

“What do you want from me?” She asked him breathlessly.

He smirked, to hide his insecurity on the matter. Her question hit far too closely to his solitary soul. “The answer is so simple, I think I’d enjoy myself far more if I let you figure it out for yourself – all in due time.” He distracted her, “However, if you want something from me, are you bold enough to take it?” He whispered, pressing down on her leg to keep her firmly in his lap. Her breath hitched.

Autumn constantly found herself challenged by his words – his orneriness was in his genes she swore. If he didn’t want to fuck her, then what did he want? A nagging feeling in her mind said that she wanted to prove him wrong, to make him eat those words.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We know where this is going... Some NSFW planned for next week. o3o


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double post 1/2 for release day: 10/20
> 
> NSFW ahead. Bottom comments to provide chapter summary (still descriptive, but not explicit).

This feeling, it wasn’t arousal, although the pretty sight of his ideal woman bobbing up and down on his hard shaft was a pleasant sight, but something closer to joy. This joy was something he craved desperately, a moth to her flame.

She was very good at her task too, swallowing down his length, undulating around him with throaty moans. He tried not to think too hard about any men in her past – no one is born with skill after all. What was important was that Amber belonged to him in this moment, wrapped around his cock, content to make him purr and hiss with pleasure.

Arousal was a chore, an itch needing to be scratched – annoying, but satisfying to relieve, nonetheless. Whenever the urge struck him, he simply used a convenient and disposable hole to do his business in. He liked mouths, his partners would try to bite and scrape at him, he liked flirting with the dangerous idea of teeth. That would keep him going, over the grating sound of gaging and crying once they realized they made a grave mistake for he was no less violent in bed. Those who flocked to him for such a purpose were vile, disposable creatures, less than human, clawing for whatever scraps of power they could find like animals. Their efforts would not take seed by his cooperation. He would make their place known.

But she was different, strong enough and pure enough to stand, to thrive, within his malefic storm.

She slid off of his length with a syrupy pop, and looked at him, feathery white hair failing to stay pulled up behind her. “You can touch me, you know? Or am I doing that good of a job that you don’t see a need to make corrections?” she smirked.

“I think you want me to fuck your face,” he grinned, “and you’re trying to be subtle about it.”

She hummed but it came out sounding like more of an admissive purr.

Zenos stood. “On your knees.”

She readily scrambled to her knees in a kneeling position and looked up at him. He grabbed the base of her ponytail. He watched her circle his tip with her tongue once before wetting her lips and devouring him once more. He shuddered at the contact. Once fully seated in her throat, he tested her, pulsing in and out of her shallowly. Her eyes gleamed with challenge.

Finding his stride, he took her at a slight angle, rubbing himself up against the inside edge of her teeth. Faster and faster he thrusted, ignoring the watering of her eyes and savoring the brutal scraping of her nails against his thighs. It felt good – better even with a willing participant.

He slowed down finding himself close to the edge of an orgasm.

“Do that thing with your throat again,” he commanded, “the growling”.

He rubbered her head, cooing praise. “There that’s it.”

In combination with the overstimulation of the vibrations, it was the prickle of pain – saliva was not the best lubricant - was what did it for him.

It stung, it burned, it made him feel something which in turn brought him closer to the edge. He could picture it now, seating himself fully inside of her pliant hole and forcing his seed down her throat, he’d ask her to bite, to squeeze down harder on the base of his cock, as he was wracked with pleasure, the pain only serving to escalate-

He felt it and crammed himself down her throat in a final thrust. He felt her shudder to accommodate him. Hot semen spilled into her throat.

“Close your mouth,” he said in ragged tones.

He pulled at her hair, unsatisfied, “Harder.”

“Ugh, yes.” He could feel himself twitching, her biting serving to milk him for every last drop.

Zenos pulled himself out of her mouth and in a flickering moment of judgement, knelt down and kissed her with barely enough time given for her to swallow the evidence of their passions. He could smell himself on her breath. He liked it. Whores did not get this privilege, after all the meeting of an unworthy pair of lips to his own would never bring about the same reverent joy that hers did.

Autumn wiped her face with the nearest piece of fabric – one of his shirts. “I knew you were a masochist.” She said idly.

“Pain at the height of pleasure is unlike anything else.” He sprawled out beside her, half-hard cock sitting between his legs. Autumn crawled into his lap. Zenos thought about the first time she did this while quite drunk and found himself amused by the memory.

“You’ve had your fun,” she fought to utter the words in stolen moments between their kisses. Her cheeks were flushed.

“You did not have to,” it felt wrong to give thanks.

She hid her face in the crook of his neck and nipped lightly against his artery, “But I wanted to.”

Zenos sat there with his arms loosely draped around her body. Although he was no stranger to pleasuring himself, he was not familiar with eliciting pleasure from others, not to waste his efforts on the unworthy. Others were not worthy of his ministrations; others were too afraid to succumb to his touch because he knew nothing but violence.

But he was clever. “Touch yourself for me,” he whispered breathlessly in her ear. He was confident. As a prince he learned to always be confident. He wanted to learn what he needed to do without revealing his empty hand.

She pulled back abruptly and looked at him. He smirked at the sight of the cute, surprised blush across her cheeks. “You don’t want to?” He tilted his head.

Under the heat of his gaze she brought her fingers between her legs and started to rub her sensitive nub. He didn’t touch her, watching with an appreciative glint in his eye. He would encourage her with a challenge, teasing her with his words. Keeping his hands away from her was a short lived prospect. He traced his fingers around her neck and shoulders, lower still to appreciate her small pert breasts peeking out of her misplaced tunic. Any inhibitions of hers were shortly burned up in the heat created between them, too needy, seeking her own pleasure to care.

Her movements becoming jerkier, her breath becoming more labored, Zenos stopped her. This earned him a while of disapproval which he shushed away. He pressed his fingers against her lips.

“Suck,” he commanded. She took his first two fingers into her mouth and swirled them with her tongue. He pulled them back and a string of saliva connected his trail. By the shoulders he pushed her down and inserted those fingers into her, twisting gently to coat them in the wetness she had produced due to her own ministrations.

“You take two fingers so well,” he commented, “Would you like another?”

Hands brought up and partially obscuring her pleased expression, she nodded sharply, sighing when he finally added a third digit. “Good,” he sounded pleased with himself, “I’m finally feeling a little bit of resistance, but we can open you up. You may touch yourself again.”

Her hand snaked back down, finding her sticky folds.

“Am I correct to assume you enjoy, nay, prefer lovers endowed with girth?”

“Are you really asking about my history n-AHH!”

He pressed deeper into her, sinking just past his second joint.

“I’m merely appraising if you can handle what I will offer.”

She panted and writhed, “Just be on about it!”

“You know the difference between pain and injury?” Zenos started to coat a fourth finger in her juices.

Autumn nodded frantically. The intense anticipation felt like levin skittering across her skin.

He watched her closely, half because he knew the timing he hoped to achieve with his thrusting, and half because he was genuinely curious. She wanted to have sex with him, but it went beyond that – many people wanted to have sex with him. But, they wanted something from him. She just wanted him – perhaps he felt like her demands were far too inexpensive or maybe she was the greediest of them all? Only she wanted all of him, but even then she could have asked for more. He might have given it to her. He didn’t quite understand it – those elusive feelings – how that interest converted into arousal, but it was fascinating nonetheless to watch it play out.

“You’re not this big,” she panted, laboring against the wide intrusion pushing her folds to the limit.

“I’m not doing this for you to accommodate me, I’m doing this to ruin you.” If she could talk, he had distance yet to travel up to the precipice of her breaking point. His fingers marched forward. He felt the elastic force straining again him.

“Ahhh, fuck. Please!”

He wasn’t sure if he wanted to have that feeling - he learned so long ago that he didn’t feel things the way the rest of the world did – but watching it, being right next to that elusive sensation, it was almost as if he could feel it. It was as close as he could come to understanding and the thought was satisfying in its own way.

“You like that don’t you? I’ve already tainted you, my enemy. I’ll ruin you so that no others will have you. That’s what you want isn’t it?”

“Oh fuck, Zie,” she arched her back off of his bedroll, panting. “Yes,” she hissed, “that is what I want.”

“I need-” she whined.

With four fingers inside of her tight cunt, he slowly curled his fingers, expanding and stretching her hole to its limits – she wasn’t ready for his entire hand, not by malms, but he would push her. She cried out – it must hurt – unused to being stretched in a sensitive area. He felt the quiver of the muscular ring guarding her entrance protesting. Her muscles clamped down with biting force, she groaned and panted.

The pain became an unholy fullness that made her want more. The heat between her legs reached a white hot apex and she cried out, feeling as if she would snap in two, wanting to be broken.

Limp against the ground, she finally fluttered her eyes open. Autumn felt the distinct sheen of sweat coating her legs and arms. She was exhausted.

“I’m not sure if I’ll be able to walk tomorrow.” Her thighs quivered.

He snuffed, “You exaggerate. You will be fine.”

“I really hate you – I wanted to… and you just… why do you always win!”

The corner of his lips curled up in amusement. “Your hatred looks beautiful on you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Summary: The WoL sees his lack of sexual desire as a personal challenge and eagerly performs oral to convince him he is wrong. Zenos reflects on his history of sexual encounters and we learn that people have only ever sought to take advantage of him. He admits to himself she is different. We also learn that he has no experience pleasuring others. Cleverly, he finds a way to learn without being found out by asking for a bit of an exhibition. Once confident, he takes over the reigns of her pleasure and tells her that he seeks to ruin her for anyone else. The WoL expresses a hint of frustration in the end because she feels like he had a greater effect on her than she did on him.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2/2 for release day: 10/20

Camp was packed and she stood across from Zie with the reigns to her bird in hand. “I guess this is goodbye.” She said, “That was really fun. I needed that, so… thanks…?” She nodded as if convincing herself of that truth. She tried not to think about the bit of fun they were up to last night.

“I’d like to see you again, but-” Autumn confessed with a rosy blush. “I probably can’t steal away any more time for a while.”

“I would make such better use of your time. It would benefit you to come with me.”

Autumn shook her head, “I can’t do that, but I can slip away to meet you from time to time.” She reiterated, standing her ground.

He stepped into her space, “If you meet me on the day of the new moon by the waterfall, I’ll be there. I better see some improvement in your form.”

That was nearly two weeks away. She ran the numbers through her head, “I will definitely impress you.”

“My dragon,” he tilted her chip up and kissed her with a surprising amount of softness.

Autumn had to pull away. She was too aroused for a farewell. She broke free of his embrace reluctantly and mounted her chocobo. She waved to Zie before letting the aether currents pick her up and transport her to Castrum Oriens.

Zenos watched until she was out of sight. He could hear the stream gently gabbing away, and the crunch of his footfall as he made his way back to his tent. She left and took something with her, a thing he couldn’t accurately describe, but its absence he had long waxed poetic about. He knew not what the opposite of void was, but she was the torchbearer. Having it ripped away was far more torturous than growing accustomed to living without it.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry its a day late. I forgot >.< Coincidentally it is a TRIPLE POST WEEK!
> 
> Chapter 1/3 for release day: 10/...28

“Autumn bas Lulius.” she winced when she heard her full name – no one liked to be reminded of her interesting citizenship status. Alphinaud had his hands perched on his hips when he finally – after 5 days – caught a glimpse of her sneaking into the rebel camp at Rhalgr’s Reach.

“Alphinaud,” she greeted him with half-hearted enthusiasm, “how have things been?”

He started pacing, “Where were you! You said you would be gone for a day! It’s been five days! Five!”

He was really mad. “We were this close to sending a search party out for you. We thought you were dead in a ditch somewhere or worse captured by Garleans!”

_Oh, she was captured by a Garlean all right._ Her inner monologue chortled away in amusement.

“I’m no worse for wear.” She huffed. “I’m sorry I was gone… longer than expected. Something came up.”

“Well it better have been worth it! We were trying to contact you via the linkpearl this whole time!”

“Oh, I left it my room.”

Alphinaud braced his head against his forehead. “Hydaelyn help us all.” he muttered.

Alisaie came running up, “Autumn! You’re alive!”

Thank the twelve for Alisaie to spare her brother’s chiding. “No need for dramatics. I’m alive,” she crooked her arms and performed a lazy quarter turn, “As I was just about to tell your brother, there was an S-rank monster that I took care of south of Baelsar’s wall. It took me a couple of days to bait it.”

“You went off to fight an S-rank alone!?” he shrieked. “You could have died!”

“I wasn’t alone,” she muttered, “My friend helped.”

Alphinaud sighed, “Please don’t give us a scare like that again.”

Alisaie grabbed him by the shoulders, “He was really worried, you know. But trust me he is happy that you’re back, even if he is a little grumpy.” Alphinaud turned an interesting shade of pink, shrugged off his sister’s hands and stomped away.

Alisaie rocked on her heels in front of the Warrior of Light, “Sooo,” she grinned, “tell me about your friend.” She reached up on her tip toes and poked the Warrior of Light’s bruised neck.

Autumn flushed and resisted the urge to cover the mark with her hand. She was too sharp for her own good. “We aren’t talking about him.”

Alisaie arched an eyebrow, “Him?”

“Don’t ever bring this up again.” She threatened, “Alphinaud would literally try to kill me.”

She giggled. “At least tell me if he was handsome.”

“Quite,” she tried and failed to hide her smug grin.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2/3 for release day: 10/28

She was different now. Irritation constantly niggled at the back of her thoughts. Everything was cast in a new light, and she just couldn’t help but think of Zie – when exactly had he opened her eyes?

Standing before Alphinaud, he was asking her to take care of some menial task that the good for nothing trainees clearly weren’t willing to do – she knew. She gave them a pep talk 3 days ago after finding them horsing around in the stream, carefree and full of starry-eyed wonder. They didn’t know war – not yet. They bothered her. This bothered her. She took the missive with a saccharine smile and trotted off for the commander’s tent.

Before she would have done it without question but with each silly talk she was given, like a dog playing fetch, she really began to see herself as just that – a dog, the Alliance’s bitch. Each time she accepted a job – because she was expected - it became harder and harder not to just snap right then and there. She did it because she was admittedly bored – could not leave the reach because they couldn’t risk accidentally revealing its location, couldn’t hunt, none of the fighters here were worthy sparring opponents. Perhaps lyse – her hand to hand combat skills was less developed than other areas – but she wanted to use a blade. It would do no good to work on skills that did not involve her gutting the viceroy on some eventual day.

So, doing _something_ was better than nothing.

_I would make such better use of your time,_ she wondered what they could have been doing – if he wasn’t a Garlean soldier, if there wasn’t a war, if they weren’t on opposite sides of a conflict. She shook her head. Was he right?

_Focus – focus on delivering this._ She twisted the rolled up document in her hands. The negative thoughts came pouring back in.

She sucked in a breath through her nose, taking the long way over the bridge rather than cutting through the stream and getting her boots wet. She saw the way a resistance fighter looked at her, starstruck, but also wanting. Everyone always wanted something.

She watched the trainees fresh from Ala Ghana and their sloppy work with their spears and swords. Was training cannon fodder even worth it? She could cut them all down with the flick of her wrist, a single cast of Contre Sixte, would do the job. She could train them. Though it might give her something to do, it wasn’t really worth her time.

The cost simply did not equal the benefit – this was why no one asked her to participate in such trivial matters. People knew, the scions knew, and yet no one dared to point it out – to whose benefit? But there were other costs that didn’t add up if she really wanted to look closely at her situation. The books were blatantly unbalanced and there was no doubt a debt unpaid for her services existed without a plan for repayment. Their debt to her here in Gyr Abania was greater than any conflict she willingly entered before. She pondered the extent of their awareness to the issue, that boredom was expensive, taxing both parties relentlessly.

Her gut instinct told her that this was beneath her, these people were beneath her. She helped them, but it didn’t make her feel like a good person. She pitied them. She did it because… it was the path of least resistance. Although the true answer was that she was swept up in this, blind to the incremental favors until it was too late – and her donations became an investment crippling if lost. She was in too deep to suddenly combust and go AWOL. She had to hold it together, until this all ended… although more and more she would herself asking why that was. More and more she wondered if this would ever end.

Autumn delivered the letter to Kemp and turned heel quickly. She wouldn’t spare him the opportunity to saddle her with another task. Perhaps it was her fault for being too nice, and getting things done too quickly. She heard a thank you over her shoulder – he was nice. He never asked too much of her. He, like the proud Ishgardians, saw the value in doing things yourself – he refused to have his resistance forces swallowed up by Alphinaud’s zeal to provide aid and succor. She liked him marginally.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3/3 for release day 10/28

Prince Zenos drummed his hands against the hard savage throne in the savage palace. The commanders were giving their field reports. He cared little, and normally he would sit there with dead eyes and wait for their jabbering to end. But toady visions of a huntress danced in his head. He wondered just how quickly she could slaughter the soldiers in this room – all leaders in some capacity, shining gems of the academy. He could snuff out their candle of life with a strike of his blade, rending their flesh from bone in a most gruesome display of his art. How would she kill them? Would she dance for him, dazzle him with showers of magic twinkling in the stale, metallic air? Would she be bored of them as he was?

“….found the enemy hideout.”

He focused his attention on Fordola. This news interested him.

“When should we lead the attack, my Lord?”

“Hmmm,” he drawled. He had plans for his huntress, the halfling he quickly grew so fond of. He didn’t want to collide with her in any official capacity just yet – if the savages knew even half of her strength, their paths would surely cross. Their bond was still new and pink. “Give it time,” he dismissed the idea, “let the savages believe they are safe for now. Whether we crush them now, or in a month, it does not change the outcome.”

“Then we should act swiftly and waste fewer resources. They will grow stronger even if it is their battle to lose.” The officer in charge of the barracks spoke up.

Zenos fumed, “Do you know why the emperor deigned me to rule over these lands and deal with these savages?” he stood, “Because, you weed, I see a bigger playing field than you could ever fathom.” He scoffed, “If you dare think that saving resources is the best recourse because you think I care about the bottom line, or lives lost, then you are gravely mistaken.” He approached the soldier quaking in his boots, “no, no, no – there is a much larger prize to be had if we just wait.” He gazed into the dark holes of the soldiers’ helmet, “very few things make me a patient man,”

He drew his sword.

“My Lord!”

“You are not one of them,” in a single strike the man dropped to the ground.

“Patience is paramount.” He announced, “Cornered animals may have spirit, but their plans are ultimately predictable and very poor sport. But if one dangles the promise of freedom before them while nipping at their heels to stroke their passion, then things become interesting.”

“Alert his second in command that he has received a promotion.” Zenos walked back up the stairs to the throne and disappeared behind it. Their he was done playing court with them.

At the pinnacle of the castle, the wind pushed past his face as he opened the doors to the Royal Menagerie. He could hear the restraints holding back the primal pulsing with energy – never did this dragon, a magnificent beast stop fighting. His boots crunched through the assortment of pink flowers. That dragon was no use to him caged, but he was patient – very patient for the things that truly mattered. The breeze whipping up out of the canyon could steal the very air from his lungs and drew him closer to the edge to see the thin pillars ascending from the abyss to hold up small pavilions on a lake in the clouds.

There was much he enjoyed about this garden. A Royal Menagerie, revolutionized by his hand as a zoo for only the rarest of beasts, a garden of Eden for those privileged enough to be deemed worthy by his blade. It was a Royal Menagerie reborn in blood from the ashes of love. Even the air here felt indescribably reverent, an eerie and beautiful contrast to the concentrated power and menace. Would she enjoy it like he did? He wondered. She would appreciate his tastes, he was certain.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another triple post week! Also, I've added some more chapters beyond my initial predictions, so we might be getting either more triple post weeks, or an extra week or two added to my current release plan.
> 
> Chapter 1/3 for release day 11/4

On the prescribed day, Autumn found herself right where it all started, her sinful relationship, under the roar of the waterfall just east of Ala Ghana. Zie waited for her, poised like a statue keeping a wary eye on some of the larger beast slithering around in the stream.

“Zie,” she put a hand up in greeting.

He was half-expecting her to figure out who he was in the two weeks since he had last seen her. He expected either a confrontation or abandonment. He preferred abandonment as it would give him cause for a most excellent hunt. But she didn’t realize the kind of danger she was willingly dancing with. She was no fool though. He had an ilm of suspicion that she could sniff out the measure of his power, that she knew he was not to be trifled with. She said it herself, she did not want to look too closely and have her hand forced.

“You came.” He refused to sound surprised, but it came out as such.

She walked over, “But of course. This is the one bright spot in my otherwise dreary routine.”

“I’ve never been referred to as a bright spot in anyone’s day before… a blight perhaps.”

She stifled a trilling laugh, “You’ve been that too. I’ve been feeling a little rebellious lately,” her voice fluctuated playfully. “Life was simple, and then you came along and made me unhappy with my lot.”

He sniffed, “I won’t apologize for waking you up to your worth.”

“I never expected you to.” She stepped into his personal space and drew her eyes to his mouth. For once she was happy that she inherited something from her father – his height. It didn’t take much effort on his part to tilt her head up and find her lips. They kissed languidly, ignoring the spray from the water and the breeze in the ravine gusting, slapping their hair against their necks.

Zenos broke away first and pulled out something from behind his back. “I’d like to give you this.” He held up a Garlean access card made of hardsilver. She recognized the Garlean insignia in the center, but it was heavily altered with a secondary pattern that she didn’t recognize. “It will grant you entry to Castellum Velodyna if you show it to any of the sentries.”

“You trust me that much?” she was surprised.

He hummed, “If I recall, you said that you had no intention to sabotage our secret outings. Nevertheless,” he brushed his hair back behind him. “I don’t think any of the savages you’ve thrown your lot in with would be able to get very far on a stolen token. You may do with it as you wish.”

She curled it in her hand and tucked it into her knapsack. “And you’ll expect me to use it? To willingly march into an enemy base?”

“It’s my base – you may be my enemy, but you are also much more than that,” he carved his thumb down her jawline. “I’ll be there next week, come if you so choose.”

She nodded. He never mentioned details of his position before today. His base? To acknowledge that and grant his request for a meeting would be flying much too close to the sun.

“Now, I grow impatient for our rematch. Tell me – have you grown? Or are you still squandered under the thumb of the Eorzeans?” He strode backwards and readied his blade.

She drew her rapier and kicked back into a flying leap to create distance to cast her fist spell.

The battle concluded quickly, too quickly for both of their tastes. Zenos scowled. “I’m disappointed in you today.” She was flopped down in the stream, soaked to the bone.

She scrambled to her feet. “I have not had time to train rigorously since we last met,” she kept her eyes downcast.

“Do not look so forlorn my beast.” He sheathed his sword. “I called you a disappointment, not unworthy.” He placed his hand on her shoulder. “I’m still quite certain that I am right about you.”


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2/3 for release day 11/4

Something about Lyse always bothered her – even before she was Lyse.

Autumn listened to her speak, her shrill voice chirping about friendship and togetherness, unity and diversity. It was just all so disgustingly idyllic.

She never really gave much thought to Lyse’s motivations before. But listening to them now, as an awakened individual, it was really quite hard. How did she agree to help Lyse win back her country from the Empire? She wanted to champion friendship and cooperation to bring justice for her people. She was bright and noble. She fought with her fists – noble. Lyse didn’t have the echo, she never saw the eikons Autumn had been pitted against, she never knew anything other than winning. Well, at least until Papalymo. She couldn’t believe he had to die.

Autumn huffed. Perhaps it was her fault – so used to winning, to good prevailing against evil, blind to the gory underbelly of her work to keep them all righteous. When there was finally an Eikon she couldn’t handle due to the circumstances, when there was someone else at stake, and they caught a glimpse of the pain, the rawness that was fate. They were unbelieving.

She saw his impending doom and understood it, but she comforted Lyse rather than berated her for her foolishness. Had she been just as blind? It was as if she were asleep and Zie was the kiss that brought her back to life. Standing in the back of the crowd she noticed she had brought her fingers to brush against her lips. It was dangerous how much she found herself thinking about this man.

Such gusto against the Garleans. If they believed enough in themselves, they would suddenly become stronger – no – it was only eikons that had such a property. How could they be so juvenile. There was a soldier out there right now she knew she couldn’t best in a fair fight. They spent their days preparing the weakest, to improve their chances of living, when they should be more worried about fortifying their strongest. It was simple. This was a fight of quality over quantity. It boggled her mind why she was sent to places like Ala Ghiri to recruit unwilling cannon fodder, to traipse around the desert performing tasks to show their sincerity, only to get a few worthless men and women. In the time she spent gathering herbs and saving townsfolk too stupid and stubborn to leave and seek better for themselves perhaps she could have found at least a B-rank hunt or two to hone her sword against.

The more she thought, the more irritated she grew. It bubbled within her like a magma chamber threatening to gush its contents in a hot explosion of rage. She nodded and smiled, agreeing to some mission – like she had a choice – and made for the plateaus beyond the Reach to skin some Gagana and vent her frustrations.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3/3 for release day 11/4

She turned over the access card he gave her yet again. She pulled it out almost nightly thinking about what she wanted to do. However, today was different. It was morning - THE morning. If she left now, she would be there well before lunchtime, giving her a couple hours with Zie – at the castellum – in enemy territory – which he was in charge of apparently. She shoved the token into her bag. Gods, the more she thought about it, the worse it sounded. If anyone knew about her illicit relationship… theoretically she would hope the Scions to be supportive. She thinks particularly of Nero. They do their best to be non-discriminatory, but this was a hard sell no matter how she looked at it. Zie was not an outcast seeking to reform himself; he was right in the eye of the storm, whipping up the winds, an enthusiastic menace against the peoples she found herself standing on the same side.

She heard a knock on her door and drew her bag shut. “Coming!”

“Autumn!” Alisaie looked suspiciously chipper. “Alphinaud and Lyse thought it would be a good idea to scavenge the desert for some raw materials. They want to head out within the hour… before it gets too hot.”

_Don’t do it._

She breathed.

Alisaie added, “…and we would be able to cover a lot more ground with your help.”

Doing her best not to frown at another poorly concealed act of mandatory volunteering efforts, she relaxed her stance in the doorway. This was Alisaie she was talking to, mentally relieved.

_Don’t!_

“Actually,” she wrung her hands in front of her in an obvious display of reluctance, “…I had plans today.”

“Plans?” she raised an eyebrow. “Did my brother forget about one of his own schemes?”

“No, no,” she waved her hands in front of her, “personal plans,” she corrected.

“Ohh,” Alisaie smirked, “this wouldn’t have anything to do with your… new ‘friend’ would it?”

Autumn felt a wave nervousness which presented as an embarrassed blush, “Erm…”

Alisaie laughed, “I’ll let my brother down gently then. Should I tell him you won’t be back till tomorrow?” Her grin grew. She was wickedly amused.

“Alisaie!” now she was embarrassed, “I just… oh my god. Please go away.” She didn’t want to answer that.

“Relax. You may be the Warrior of Light, but it doesn’t mean you are a saint… although I’m pretty sure Sir Aymeric worshipped the ground you walked on.” She teased her further.

“Alisaie!” She was mortified. She had no idea Alisaie knew about that.

“Before you say how did I know about that,” the Elezen tutted, “it was obvious – disgustingly obvious – how much he sought for your company. Ever the romantic he was. Everyone knows.”

She was mortified.

The elf cackled, “I’m sorry. I’ll stop, though I can’t help being interested in a little harmless gossip… from one girl to another. It’s _quite_ a desert out here.”

“I’m not going to open that can of worms,” she put her foot down. “And far too young to be talking about such things.”

“I’m eighteen,” she grumbled.

She sighed “Barely days past, and you’ve become as much of a gossip as your brother… As for that one, tell him I’m out hunting. I’m not sure when I’ll be back.”

“Oh, alright. Can’t you tell me something? Are they Elezen? Auri? I can’t imagine you with someone short. Will we ever get to see this mystery man?”

“Hm, if you are so aggressive with you line of questioning, I think not. He…,” she wondered what she could even say that wouldn’t create a scandal, “he has blue eyes, as blue as the mother crystal, and, yes, he is taller than me. That’s all you will know.” Autumn refused to play along with Alisaie’s antics.

“You’re no fun,” She pouted. Autumn spotted a crease on her brow that suggested something further was on her mind, but she reluctantly made off for her brother’s side with a wave.

Once certain the short Elezen was out of sight, Autumn shut her door and grabbed her bag. Once again Zie was a convenient out. The decision made, she grabbed her only cloak, shoved it in her bag, and headed out immediately. If Lyse and Alphinaud were putting together a collections team, the desert would soon be crawling with resistance fighters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alisaie is my favorite Scion.


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 1/3 for Release day 11/10

Autumn tucked herself into the shadows of a plateau just before the walkway to Velodyna. Her heart was hammering out of her chest with nervous energy. She couldn’t believe she was doing this. Kneeling in the sand, she dug out her morbol green cloak and the token. She slipped into the billowy garment to hide her face – she did not want to risk recognition – and tucked the card into her breast pocket.

She breathed in and out deeply before emerging and striding over to the guards, projecting as much confidence as she could muster. If everything went to shit, she was at least confident she could handle a handful of low-ranking sentries quietly.

“ _Greetings_ ,” she said quietly in Garlean, wincing at her misplaced Othardian accent. It wasn’t common knowledge she could speak Garlean – it was never something she readily had to use – a glossed over footnote from her past as far as the Eorzeans were concerned.

“ _State your name and rank._ _What business do you have here?_ ” The soldier stepped up to block her path.

Autumn procured the access card and held it out. She watched them closely as they inserted it into some type of handheld access card reader and jolted in surprise at whatever response the device gave.

She caught incomprehensible snippets of their exchange.

_“…didn’t realize…” he tilted his head in her direction._

_“She… must… Galvus.” the other replied in hushed tones._

“ _Further identification will not be necessary, My Lady,_ ” the soldier cleared his throat and saluted her. “ _Welcome to Castellum Velodyna_. _We will escort you inside_.”

She nodded and followed along, barely able to keep her nervous shallow breathing under control.

The foot soldier on the bridge transferred her over to a soldier at the door who then led her up into the tower and into a lift which took her to the top floor.

“ _We have orders not to disturb you. Please use this intercom if you have need of anything._ ”

Autumn nodded and the soldier scurried off. The sitting room she was led to was luxuriously decorated in a Gyr Abanian fashion – tasteful tribal prints, locally crafted pieces of koppranickel, and hardsilver. Not assured there weren’t maids spying on her, she kept her cloak on. She jolted, thankful she did, when she heard the door creaking and sliding open. She leapt to her feet.

“Oh,” she released a puff of worry, “it’s you.”

“I see you found your way safely.” He picked up and kissed her fingers. Touching her was a sublime feeling. “I trust the guards gave you no issues?”

“Is it not an abuse of power for you to invite your girlfriend over in such a spectacular manner? The poor things looked positively baffled by whatever you gave me.”

He looked at her thoughtfully, before laughing. Autumn was unsure what she said that-

She felt a wave of embarrassed nausea. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that-”

“Girlfriend? It is a possessive term. I’ll accept that...though it seems bashful for a lover not to refer to themselves as such.” He turned back to the door with a contented sigh, “Come, we will make use of the training facilities in the basement. If those savages keep you too busy to train you properly, I shall take up the mantle.”

By the end of training, her arms and legs were jelly, burning from a satisfying workout. Before, their encounters were all sparring. This was a pleasant surprise, getting both sparring and instruction. He was an excellent teacher, beyond excellent. She was miffed. He looked no worse for wear.

“I must really be falling behind. You don’t even look winded.” She commented as the ascended the lift back up to the top floor.

“Indeed, you are. I hope today served as a small taste of what I have to offer, should you choose to leave the savages to their own devices.”

She huffed, “You sound like you’re trying to recruit me.”

“Ah,” he shook his head, “this is where you are wrong, my dear. I wouldn’t share you like that.” He replied blithely. “They aren’t worthy of a gem like you.”

“You flatter me,” she pushed weakly against his chest.

“Servants have already sent for Lunch.” He wrapped a possessive arm around her waist and waved his credentials in front of the identification terminal leading to their sitting room.


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2/3 for release day 11/10

Autumn stood and looked up over the landscape. “I must admit I never thought I would one day see the view from this tower.”

Zenos wrapped her up in his arms, placing his head on her shoulder. “Does it somehow please you?”

“It’s a little sparse. Forgive me, if I am not entirely fond of this place.”

“As if I care,” he agreed.

Zie supporting her from behind, Autumn was content to sag in his embrace and let out a content sigh. “…I’m happy I came. After being abruptly volunteered for scrap metal hunting out in the desert – I told them I had better plans.”

If Zenos could describe the woman in his arms at this very moment, it would be soft. She felt soft and light, dare he say delicate. She was none of those things. Her blade had a biting, dangerous edge that even he had to be wary of, but she also created these strangely soft moments between them. He was not gentle, not trusted to be gentle by the world around him. But, she trusted him. It was a warm feeling, a small candle slowly etching away the chill of overbearing loneliness, though it was not enough – it was never enough.

He ran his hands down her back, kneading it. He liked touching her, a curious interest which made him reconsider if he was truly a lost cause for humanity. Autumn moaned underneath his fingers. “That feels good,” she wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’ll be sore tomorrow from the thrashing you gave me earlier.”

Since she enjoyed this, he picked her up without warning and plopped her on his lap on one of the chaise lounges dotting the room to continue his work and watch her melt into a puddle before his eyes. If he pressed his thumbs into her shoulders he could elicit a sensual moan from her again and again and again. He enjoyed having such control over her body, to watch it come apart in his hands exactly according to his design.

Autumn nibbled and kissed whatever bare skin she could find to show her appreciation. “I didn’t expect you to be so good with your hands,” she sighed hoping the not-so-subtle suggestiveness of statement went unignored.

“Proper rest and recovery are just as important as proper training.”

Autumn peeled herself off of his chest and sat back on her heels. She drew her expression to a firm pout. “Zie… aren’t you…” she hesitated, “isn’t there… oh goodness,” she twisted her fingers distractedly in his hair, “a… bed,” she squeaked, “somewhere we could fall into? No... wait… Could I shower first?” she lifted an arm and smelled herself for good measure.

He appraised her quietly, watching her shift nervously in his lap. It appears she wished to have sex with him again. “Is that what you want?” he cooed with a teasing lilt to his voice, “What can I have in return?”

“It is a mutually beneficial act, is it not?” She was perplexed.

“As talented as you are with your mouth,” he swiped his thumb over her pouted lips, “I do prefer a well-matched battle.”

She swished her tail concerned for what that meant, “What if… it’s not just my mouth this time? I… startedtakingcontraceptives!” she rushed out in a single nervous breath. She was pink.

“Oh? If you wish to impale yourself on my cock, I shall be happy to oblige,” he said with a confident smirk, “If you really wish to please me though…” he thought about what he wanted, “I’d like you to stay.”

“You know I can’t stay forever.” Her own tone of voice surprised her. “…How about I stay the night?” she offered reluctantly at the sight of his pouted disappointment, “We can continue training together tomorrow.” She had been thinking about it already and had warned Alisaie of such a possibility. It was an easy bargaining chip.

“Amenable terms.” She shrieked when he abruptly stood up with her and carried off to a door to the left, presumably holding a bedroom.


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3/3 for release day 11/10

She felt fur underneath her fingertips and against the back of her thighs when he set her down. The brown ottoman was the only splash of color in an otherwise expansive and pristine white bathroom. Endless marble sank down into the floor to form what she would only consider a small pool.

“It will take time to fill,” the water roared to life, 16 spouts hiding just under the edge of the tile spilled forth crystal clear, steaming water.

She nodded in understanding, “seems a bit impractical.”

“It is normally filled in advance, but I wanted privacy today. We must now wait like the masses for water to fill the tub.”

“I’ll have you know that I draw my own baths all of the time.”

“Then you shouldn’t be left wanting.” He turned, “Come, let us find something less grimy to wear.” He bade her to follow him through a dark, arched hallway.

She followed him into a closet – no a dressing room – with a naked mannequin standing lackluster in the center.

“What goes there?”

“My armor.” He replied obviously. “I left it behind,” he supplied, saving him the trouble of answering a second question.

She walked around the edges of the room, “Why is there so much space? Is your wardrobe this large?”

“No,” he walked over to a set of cabinets closest to his right. “I keep my things on this wall here. This room was built presumably for a couple – women seem to have a lot of clothes.”

“If I had such a luxury,” she sighed coming over to the drawer he opened to pull out a soft blue tunic that fell just above her knees. “Am I to wear your shirt like a dress?”

“Why would I keep women’s clothes?”

“Why indeed.” She commented, “the sleeves will be cumbersome, but I can-”

“You can cut it, I don’t care.”

“I’ll just roll it, but” she stood on her toes and pecked him on the lips, “thank you for offering.”

He chased her retreating lips capturing her for a heated kiss, snaking his arm around her waist to keep her from slinking away.

Zenos smiled when he felt her hands slide up his shoulders, his neck, and into his hair. He wandered her body, stroking down her sides and to the small of her back. His fingers drummed close to the base of her tail.

“Zie,” she breathed, “I don’t want to flood the bathroom.”

He pressed his cheek against the side of her face. “Shall we go check on it?”

It was Autumn who led the way back to the central room. The sound of rushing water even before they could see it was evidence enough that the bath was not yet full.

Zenos stripped off his black jacket and dropped it on the floor. He was two buttons undone on his white tunic-

“What are you doing?”

Rolling his eyes, “Undressing. There is no rule that we cannot slip into an underfilled tub. Or – did you think you would be alone?”

“N-no,” she started removing her own armor starting with the wrappings on her hands, followed by her boots.

“Can I-” he started, standing shirtless before her, “Can I undress you? I’d like that.” He wanted to touch her.

She lowered her arms to her sides. “There are ties on the back to be undone,” she murmured.

Autumn turned and swept her hair to the side. She felt fingers plucking at the cords and felt electrified by the foreign touch. Zie stepped up and his fingertip sought the bottom edge of her armor – she felt warm fingertips tickling her midriff – he pulled up gently and gave her time to raise her arms and shimmy with his own movements.

She arched her back, like a cat avoiding a touch, when she felt his fingers tracing a scar there. “Nid... A dragon made that one,” she supplied.

“Mmm.” He circled back around and brought his fingers to the clasp of her pants. She felt hot, much too hot with his touch so unnervingly close to her sex.

He pulled her unbuttoned pants down without much ado – she could swear this was some form of teasing – and she lifted one leg, then the next, for the garment to be pulled free of her body. She felt unbalanced standing in her smallclothes. She reached forward, “Can I?”

“You may.” He let his hands rest heavy on her shoulders while she mirrored his prior movements. She felt one of his hands slide down to unclasp her bra while she was bent over and it fell to the floor. She gasped in surprised, stopping short of hiding her bared chest.

She finished her task quickly, his focus had shifted to the ivory scales running up her spine.

“What does this feel like?”

“Nothing.” She amended her statement quickly, “Well just warmth. I find them to be like fingernails – the sensations are similar.”

The bathroom quieted. Autumn’s head snapped to the full tub.

“Ah, it appears to have shut off automatically.” Zenos observed, “Garlean invention is a convenient thing.”

“I suppose that means we have spent far too long undressing one another.”

“A perfect amount of time, I think.” Zenos stripped off the last of his clothing and sunk into the warm water. It came up to his waist, at least 4 fulms deep.

He offered her a hand, lazily floating parallel to the water, waiting patiently for her to stop gawking and join him.

Autumn made a small show of removing her panties, peeling them down slowly, walking to the edge of the water slowly. She took his hand. She was pulled into the tub sharply, falling sideways into the warm water. Her legs splayed ungracefully, though her caught her. The splash sprayed water all over the floor.

“Zie!” she protested, “that was unnecessary.”

“You were taking too long,” he pressed his body against her back, crossing his arms over her chest. He breathed in the scent of her hair.

“I’m sure it will smell much better after the shower,” she teased him.

“It just smells like you.”

He couldn’t say things like that! Her heart pounded erratically in her chest. “W-where is the soap?”

“Soap…” he tapped against her skin. “This appears to be another overlooked convenience.” He untangled himself and pushed up out of the water, leaving puddles as he walked.

“You are flooding the tile.”

“Who cares? I don’t have to clean it up.”

“Spoiled princeling,” she muttered.

“Very spoiled,” she jumped not expecting to hear a reply.

He stood up with glass bottles in hand. “I even found a towel.”

“How efficient,” her praise was unimpressive.

The items left pool side, he slid back into the water. Autumn was already pouring shampoo into her open hand when he stopped her. “Let me?”

Her eyes widened, “You want to?”

“I seem to be fond of touching you.” He circled around the answer, “Sit down,” he commanded her gently. Positioned comfortably in front of him, “Dip your head back.” Gently, he poured warm water over her scalp, using one hand like a dam to keep the water from running into her eyes.

The moans that escaped her were sinful and embarrassing. His nails scratched and massaged her scalp with expert care. She would let him wash her hair every day if he was this good at it.

“I will take that as a compliment,” she could hear the arrogant smirk plastered on his face.

“Don’t let it go to your head,” she focused on the evenness of her words. “You’ve already got an ego on you bigger than Al-” she paused. “it doesn’t matter. But, just know, I don’t intend to add to it.”

“Lean back again,” he murmured. The softness sent a thrilling tingle down her spine.

He would work on the rest of her body next. Scooping her up and plopping her on the edge of the tub. She whined about the cold tile but was happy to oblige sticking out her hands and her legs, whatever he commanded.

Alright, I’m done with your legs, you can stop whining about the cold.

Autumn slinked back into the tub and pressed her body against his. “Ah,” she sighed, “so warm. Much better.”

“Assisting my own bath, are you?” She smeared residual soap on him.

Feeling impish, she rolled with it. Plucking the cloth from his hands she ran it over his body.

“We will be here all day if I am to wash you. There is so much of you to wash.”

“To which I agree.” He took the washcloth back, prying it from her fingers. “But I have no small amount of practice. Might you be able to manage entertaining yourself for a few minutes?”

She nodded.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 1/2 for release day 11/17

Basking in the afternoon Gyr Abanian sun, naked, and in a bed fit for 5 people with a man as beautiful as a prince was a surreal experience. Autumn’s white hair, normally pulled up behind her, fanned out in damp ropes to contrast the burgundy colored sheets.

Zie napped languidly beside her. She watched his pale blonde eyelashes twitch and flutter. She couldn’t help but think about how pleasant his seemingly infinite stamina was, as it extended to more than just the battlefield. Though she enjoyed herself, he seemed off about everything… not wholly interested. She thought him more engaged in their bath earlier. 

Was she not appealing enough?

“It is hard to sleep when you are staring at me,” Zie whispered without bothering to open his eyes.

Autumn jolted, _I thought he was asleep._

Like he read her mind, Zenos tapped his third eye gently in response.

“Oh.” She said softly. _Right._

“It’s not just for decoration.” He paused, slowly opening his two blue orbs to look at her. He would not sleep like this, “You seem distressed. What is the matter?”

“It’s nothing. I apologize for disturbing your rest.” She turned over and closed her eyes.

When she woke next, she felt a heavy dip in the bed. She looked up and saw Zie sitting on the edge, towering above her. “They brought dinner and wine.” He carded his fingers through her hair.

She stretched out like a cat with one arm, and the other kept her breasts covered with the bedsheets. “I’ll get fat if all I do is sleep and eat.”

“Are you complaining? I distinctly remember you complaining about having too much to do before.” He pointed out.

She feigned offence, “I wasn’t complaining about having too much to do, I was complaining about having too much boring stuff to do. In any case, I clearly just need to learn how to relax. It has been a long time since I’ve indulged in such a luxury as free time.”

He hummed in assent. “I’m content to fritter away my time here with you. It is more interesting than the machinations of the outside world. Could I do this all of the time, ah,” he tilted his head back in a rare display of positive emotion, “that would be nice. Responsibility is a bore.”

Autumn was already up and pouring herself a glass of wine from the cart of food. She raised her glass, “To shirking responsibility.”


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2/2 for release day 11/17

With nearly two days come and gone, and the desert sunset quickly sinking into dusk, Autumn plopped down at a communal table in the Reach after winding her way back from Velodyna. After her couple evenings of fine dining, the slop that was her meal seemed less appealing than ever. She was used to eating like garbage. She thought about the last time she had a decent meal - Ishgard, probably. They were fond of banquets over there.

Her distaste must have been written all over her face because Alphinaud plopped down and said, “It seems like you’ve gotten the dregs of dinner service.”

“It’s fine,” she pushed her food around the plate, “I’m not really hungry.” There was truth to this. She ate like royalty, five meals in a row. She could be content to skip the next five.

“How went your hunt? You were not gone for as long as last time.” He inquired politely.

She tore off a piece of stale bread, “Unsuccessful. I would have stayed longer but I told Alisaie I’d be back after no more than a day.”

“Your communication is well appreciated.”

“I trust you were able to handle scrap metal collection without me?” she inquired. The way she phrased it was a bit accusatory, but she hadn’t the desire to flatter.

“It was dreadful work. I couldn’t blame you if you conveniently planned a hunt for yesterday.”

“I will neither confirm nor deny,” she twirled her fork in between her fingers. She earned that tiny jab.

He sighed, unable to hide a small smile towards her antics, “Nevertheless, we were successful in our mission even if it did take a little extra time.”

“I am full glad to hear it.” She turned back to her food when Alphinaud chattered chattering with another resident of the reach and eventually wandered off.

The resistance base abuzz with restless, masculine energy, she felt like a sinking stone, drowning in her solitary musings. Whereas before she would fill her loneliness with banal tasks that put smiles on the faces of common peasants, this now felt… beneath her. She was not a particularly proud person, but when the voluntary became obligation, her only respite from the painful memories and suffocating depression was gone. Her only joy now was challenging herself against stronger foes, primals certainly, and a certain Garlean man who had a flawless record of kicking her ass in the ring.

She was growing concerned for their relationship. The guilt was weighing on her. The more she grew to like him, the more guilt she felt. First, for her betrayal – falling in lo… falling for a high-ranking Garlean official would definitely be seen as a betrayal. Second, for her lies.

To him she was Amber. They hadn’t asked too many questions of each other. She believed that he, too, knew an “ask no questions, tell no lies” kind of relationship was the best course of action. While it worked – briefly - when they were simply sparring and hunting partners, now that she was very romantically involved with him, it became a weighty issue in her heart. She didn’t think he could accept the Warrior of Light. She wondered if she could accept him for who he truly was either. She was afraid to find out.

As the war drew closer to conflict, she wondered if they would be forced to face each other, if their love would end in a final battle of life and death.

She couldn’t do it. To kill a man – if she could even manage it - that had given her so much, she would sooner be found out by the Alliance. It was wrong of her to continue to pursue him, but she found herself coming back again and again because he knew exactly what she wanted, exactly what she needed.


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 1/3 for release day 11/24

Autumn handed her access card to the gatekeepers at the bridge. Apparently word of the mysterious visitor from the wrong side of the bridge had made its rounds, and she – well at least her green cloak – was recognized.

“ _My Lady_!” the guard saluted, hinting at surprise. “ _Your visit was not expected. I am afraid his Lordship is not currently present_.”

 _His lordship?_ She was bound to pick up tidbits of information about the man the more she interacted with the soldiers.

“ _Will that be a problem?_ ” she tilted her head, admittedly nervous. She wasn’t sure of the extent of the access card’s power, but she wanted to try.

The two guards looked at each other, _“Uh, no… we will relay a message to Ala Mhigo at once My Lady.”_

 _“Excellent,”_ so he was in the palace at present. She allowed herself to be led inside, already familiar with the layout, but acquiesced to her escort’s insistence, nonetheless.

She was taken to a different room – a lower floor, she noted looking out the windows. _“Will this access card permit entry to the basement?”_ she inquired gently. She offered the card to the guard who nearly dropped the item when he turned it over and saw it, clearly recognizing it to be of some importance.

_“Certainly, it was authorized by Lord Zenos himself.”_

She stilled. Prince Zenos knew about her? _“Thank you,”_ she dismissed him with a distracted wave.

Why would he tell the prince about her – to go so far as to seek out the murderous prince for an access card for a savage? She chewed on her thumbnail. _Was he an aide? He must be… close to him._ She thought back to the times when the prince was mentioned. He seemed to know a great deal, confident even to judge his preferences.

“A Tribunus, then… probably” she muttered, _Why does chaos seem to follow me?_

It was the logical conclusion given his skills and his possession of an entire – minor - military outpost. Though she permitted herself to be ignorant, it would be remiss to ignore such blatant signs of nobility and rank.

Would a fling with a Tribunus last? The only other one she knew was Nero, right hand to the Black Wolf, now right hand to the legendary Cid Garlond. He was nothing to underestimate in a fight – he wasn’t even a fighter, a scientist through and though. If Zie was on the militaristic side of operations, then it would make sense that the difference in their prowess would be so stark. If Zenos really was as powerful as the reports made him out to be, it would further only make sense that the men directly underneath him could hold their own in his eyes.

“Well,” she stood, “He should be capable to manage whatever havoc I cause. I might as well take advantage of his gift.” Autumn moved towards the door, turning sharply. An afterthought, she pressed the call button, _“I will be training for approximately two bells. Would it be possible to have a meal ready upon my return?”_

The intercom crackled in return, _“It will be done. Does the Lady have any requests?”_

She paused, not expecting a choice, _“No soups or stews,”_ she grimaced thinking about the gruel back in the rebel camp.

_“Noted.”_

Autumn stepped in the lift and took it all of the way to the lowest level. Immediately met with the familiar smell of rubber, iron, and sweat, she tossed her cloak over a training dummy, and stood before the weapons rank. She tapped her finger against her chin. So many choices.

Various gunblades, katanas of various sharpness, machinists’ firearms, and even a few spears and daggers. “I’m a rusty dragoon,” she muttered, reaching for one of the longest spears and twirling it a few times to test its weight balance. Satisfied, she jumped fluidly into the area and began going through her rotations. To dance as a red mage, balance, fluidity, and pacing was key. The resultant dance – if done right – was fast, smooth, and visually dramatic with the rapid bursts of multicolor aether and flashy enchanted sword skills. The dragoon, on the other hand, was a more rigid dance of timing, angles and distance. Jumping around the room, stabbing and swinging, throwing, and arcing her weapon around her body the focus was not her, but the tip of her spear. If she could keep it moving, playing around with its melody required a mixture of distance and short ranged skills with the foresight and timing on how to plan and link them together. It was still very much a work in progress.

She heard the door open, mid turn and changed it course on reflex to the source of the noise. The jarring clang of her javelin blocked rang out across the arena.

“You startled me!” she gasped in surprise. “Never sneak up on a woman with a weapon.”

“Thankfully, it was me or you probably would have killed one of the patrols.” Zie slid his Katana back into its sheath. “Filing that kind of report would be a nuisance.”

She smiled, “a most irritating prospect,” she indulged him, grinning. “I was told by the sentries that you were in Ala Mhigo. I am by no means disappointed, but… I am surprised to see you here so soon.”

“Imagine my own surprise when I received notice that you arrived unannounced. I adjourned a meeting so that I could come and learn the reason why you’ve gifted me with your presence once again.”

“Oh,” she brought a hand to her mouth, “I’m so sorry, I’ve interfered with your work. Forgive me of learning your whereabouts, but I genuinely do not wish you to raise the Legatus’s ire.”

“Hmm?” he hummed appreciatively, “do not waste your energies on such concerns. Truly, your timing could not have been better. I hate meetings,” he walked over and placed his hand on her shoulder. “But I must know why, for your actions have piqued my curiosity yet again, what brings you back here unannounced?”

“I” she tucked her arms behind her back, “I needed to get away for bit. I’ve been so mad lately with… certain people, and I thought this would be the best place for me to hide and blow off some steam. The one place they would never be able to search.”

“Far be it from me to dissuade you then,” he placed his other hand over the hilt of his blade, “I trust you’d prefer a real challenge over swinging at air?”

Autumn walked over to her fallen spear and kicked it up into her hand with her foot, “My skills with the spear are not worthy of wasting your energies on, but” she gazed back over the weapons rack. “If you would permit me a moment to select something more suitable, I think some proper training could be in order.”


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2/3 for 11/24

“Can we talk? … privately?”

Her brother could sense her unease. He looked to the young commander, “who simply nodded and shooed him towards his sister”

“Certainly,” he stood up straighter, “to my chamber’s then?” She nodded.

They walked across the courtyard.

“Now,” he shut the groaning metal door, “aught is wrong, dearest sister?”

“There is nothing wrong with me, I am concerned for another.”

“Another?”

“Autumn.” She spoke plainly. “You must have noticed by now that she hasn’t been herself lately, disappearing without a word of notice, missing for days with no way to contact her, her grouchy moods, and, finally, her lack of usual enthusiasm for helping others.”

“Yes, I have noticed that she seemed more… snappish of late.”

“Snappish? Is that all you chalk it up to be?” she sounded incredulous.

“Forgive me,” he placed his hand to his forehead, “Perhaps I should have been paying more attention to her and I would be as concerned as you are. I trust that if you are concerned then there is every reason to be.”

She nodded, “She looked ready to bite your head off after you all but forced her to join the reconnaissance team on castellum Velodyna.”

“I have done nothing different. She understands how vital her presence is. She would have been asked to join the team by Pipin if not first by me.”

“That may be true, but you didn’t ask. It is not your place to order her around. I suspect,” she breathed, “she is getting tired of that particular habit of yours, among other things.”

“I…” he looked down, “that was rude of me.”

Alisaie nodded, “you should apologize to her before her contemplations of beheading you turn into action.”

Alphinaud gulped. “I will… I should go apologize immediately. I’ll tell her that my angelic sister in her infinite wisdom knocked some sense into me.”

Alisaie smiled at his antics, “Would that be so convenient that she was simply around to receive such heartfelt proclamations. But no,” she tutted, “I saw her dash off into the forest after you looked the other way, attending to some other matter.”

“So, she disappeared again is what you are saying.”

“You have the right of it,” she chirped, very irritated with her brother’s arrogant behavior. “She is probably out thinning the forest population to blow off some steam.”

“Then I will wait until after the mission returns to The Wall to bring it up. Despite her recent behavior, she has never once missed a job.”


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3/3 for 11/24

“What have the savages done to piss you off this time?” Zenos rubbed lazy circle over the skin of her bare hip.

“I was volunteered for another task. ‘Oh… Amber will do it, right?’” she mocked the infuriating conversation. “As if I had a choice with alliance leaders staring me down.”

“A major task then?” he inquired lightly, ghosting his breath over her neck, “If alliance leaders are involved that is…?”

“Hardly important,” she chuckled, “but Raubahn and his son were standing right there.”

_-_

_There has been a suspicious flurry of activity at Castellum Velodyna._ Pipin started, _I am forming a reconnaissance team to watch it. It the Garleans are using it as a staging point so soon, we may expect conflict at the wall sooner than expected._

Autumn suppressed an indignant laugh and willed her eyes not to roll. She would bet her last Gil the flurry of activity was related to her visit. And the price – to spy on an outpost knowing the outcome. How utterly boring. There was no point to the exercise, and yet, she could say nothing to a reason why.

-

“Who is Raubahn?”

She turned over to stare at him dumbly before breaking out into a fit of giggles. “Your nation is leading an attack on this land and you don’t even know who one of the alliance’s generals are? He is the Ul’dah’s General of the Immortal Flames. He has a son who takes care of some of the day to day operations.”

Convenient perch on her hip gone, he slid his hand up to idly play with one of her breasts, “Ul’dah…” he mused, “Thanalan, yes? Led by Queen Nanamo Ul Namo. Ah – yes,” he sighed, “I remember she has an Ala Mhigan dog… that must be this Raubahn right?”

Autumn paused, tracing through his chain of logic, “Yes,” she nodded, “that is correct.”

“So, your compatriot volunteered you for a mission in front of the first and second in command and you couldn’t easily refuse?”

“Exactly. It wouldn’t be so bad, but it seems that it happens all the time now I feel acutely aware that they can’t manage to accomplish anything on their own.”

“Then the Eorzeans are utterly doomed on this front then, aren’t they?” he said smugly.

She mused, “I feel… to answer that question I am too biased.”

“Do you want them to succeed?”

“My grooming demands it, doesn’t it? I feel this overwhelming patriotism to their cause, despite knowing in my heart of hearts, if the only thing standing between Garlemald and victory is the Warrior of Light, then… yes, they are probably doomed.”

“So, it is only this Warrior of Light, the Champion of the Savages? No one else will give proper sport? How boring.”

“Did you expect more?”

He laughed, pressing his lips against her shoulder, “perhaps you’ve caught me as the fool then.”

She looked out the window to the setting sun, “I should be returning soon.”

“Mmm,” he wrapped his arms around her like a python coiling around it prey, “stay. The difference of a handful of hours in the night will mean naught.”

“Do you remember that task I was volunteered for?”

“Mhm,” he showed no signs of relaxing his grip.

“Then you know why I need to be back. It is a morning task, and, although I could stay a few more hours, the prospect of waking up before dawn and slinking back into camp is deeply upsetting.”

“You are a menace in the mornings,” he agreed, “I like it.”

She sighed, “As long as I have my access card, I can come again.”

“I will do you one better. In two days’ time join me where we first met. I won’t have a reason to linger here after you depart, but I will be in that area later.”

“Two days,” her tail tapped against the bed as she thought, “I don’t think I have anything planned. I’ll do my best to avoid team meetings in the meanwhile,” she chuckled quietly.

“Good.”

Two more boring days she thought.


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 1/2 for release day 12/1

“Gods help us, they’re killing everyone!” A bloodied soldier running for his life released a strangled cry.

Alisaie looked sick, “We have to stop them while there’s still someone left to save!” She ran up to an injured man, slumped over under the eaves of the stacked stones.

“The imperials came from nowhere…started cutting people down left and right…” he told her with empty, hopeless eyes.

“Reinforcements are on the way. Spread the word,” Alphinaud reassured, “We should keep moving…”

The scions fought down the path, descending into the reach, cutting down soldiers left and right. Autumn, with each step closer to the center, with each imperial body she stepped over, her chances of finding her lover among them grew greater. Her only reassurance was that if he were truly from the Castellum, her pointless reconnaissance suggests its soldiers appear to have been spared the current conflict – unless they had been stationed in advance…

“Confound it! Nothing for it but to fight.” Alphinaud’s frustration grew. There were no injured to save. Those unfortunate enough to remain in the thick of things were either fighting for their lives or already dead.

Krile gasped, “Twelve forfend… It’s a bloodbath…Remember that we’re here to save lives! Defend the hostages!”

“Those monsters ─ these people had surrendered!” Autumn had never seen Alisaie so enraged before.

“It’s not too late for the others,” Pipin urged the group forward, “We must hurry!

“Well, well. A rescue party, is it? We’ll see about that.” Fordola blocked their path.

Autumn stepped forward, brandishing her rapier in front of the Lalafell leader to force him to stand down. She could sense it. This woman was a bit stronger than the rest.

“Go! Aid the others!” Autumn laid claim over her fight, “this one will be more efficiently dealt with by my hand alone.”

“But!” Alphinaud already had his spell book at the ready.

Autumn glared at him, “Go!”

This woman – clearly a raid leader – had been the one to ruin her efforts, pulled from her onze by onze, given unwillingly, but they were her efforts, nonetheless. She would not see them wasted and simply allow the defiler to escape unscathed. She was not upset her efforts, specifically, were wasted, she was much more furious that this would not be enough to cause abandonment. It was only a setback, work that must be done by her hand. Again.

She growled, lunging for the woman. With each strike of her aether infused blade, a vicious combo of attack after attack she forced the woman back, wailing on her with the sum of all her frustrations.

Though she stood, the trench of marks in the soil were evidence of her weakness.

“Gah!” Fordola spit. Autumn brought her blade back to drive it through her chest. The dominating irritation in her expression, the apathy such feelings bore for her next victim was a startling divergence from the bright inspiration she supposedly offered the world.

“Who in the seven hells are you!?”

“The Viceroy is here!” Autumn heard a shout of warning. She paused. It was just enough of a distraction. Fordola ran, ran as fast as she could. She lowered her weapon and looked to the epicenter. There would be time to finish her later. The Viceroy – the prince. She was curious about the Galvus heir, hearing her recent partner speak of the man. His opinions seemingly tempered by neither servitude nor spite, she wanted to appraise the man for herself.

She was restless. She prayed that Zie wasn’t here to discover her identity. She didn’t want to end things like this. If her guess of his rank were right, given the prince was here, it likely enough that Zie would be at his side.

She ran to the looming, dark figure. She saw Alphinaud hunched over Kemp, Krile over Y’shotla. Lyse laid off to the side, dazed.

“My Lord,” it was that woman, “The prisoners!”

“See to your men Pilus.”

Muffled as it was, she knew that voice.

She saw blonde locks peeking out from the bottom of the prince’s helmet. She recognized his weapons, his height, his stance. It had to be him. That was Zie. Lord Zenos – no – Prince Zenos was Zie. She felt as if she was going to be sick. She felt dizzy.

He turned, sensing the new threat on instinct. Her heart leapt into her throat.

“Zie-” she claimed his attention with her quiet admission. Everything about him made sense, his oppressive loneliness, his overwhelming power, his domineering aura. “Zenos,” she corrected herself. The name he gave her to use, which she always suspected was false was simply the first letter of his name. She was truly an idiot for not realizing it sooner. She was so hopeful, so sure that there was no way it could have been him. The prince cared only for himself, a bloodthirsty madman who had no reason to be gallivanting about alone in the countryside – or so she was told.

She wasn’t sure what shocked her more – that her worst nightmare – to run into Zie at the worst possible time – came to pass, or that this situation clearly surpassed what she thought was her worst nightmare. If the Scions knew who she had been bedding for the last month, if the alliance caught wind of this… treason was the word that her mind supplied.

Autumn looked around her, at the droves of injured helpless against the power of Prince Zenos. She watched them for weeks in their preparations. All of it futile. But to see the fruit of her efforts utterly wasted, to have her one bastion of escape ripped away from her… She tightened her grip around her sword. All the stupid errands she ran were simply to make people feel better about themselves. But, no one cared about how she felt.

And she felt empty. The budding relationship, the fondness and care she felt for another person, it was all crumbling into ashes around them – and no. one. cared – except her – except him. No one could care – even if people knew, this person, them together – they fucked multiple times – she bedded their sworn enemy and liked it, loved it. She found herself still wanting – yet another thing in her life that made her happy which she couldn’t have. Autumn took off her helmet and laughed, trilling with uncontained manic emotion.

“Autumn!” she heard Alphinaud’s shrill, concerned voice above the roar of the flames dancing around them.

She did not care about these people. She did not want to face Zenos, for either of them to die for such weak people. If she hurtled herself down this path, if this war were to continue it would end in one of their deaths. She would not sacrifice her life for the resistance; she would not sacrifice her love to Gyr Abania.

“Well this is interesting” He addressed her, “Autumn… or should I say Warrior of Light?” If he was surprised to see her, she did not detect it. “Perhaps an impromptu training session is in order after all.” He drew his blade, “Your… acquaintances were disappointing, but you will entertain me, will you not?” He was gleeful.

Still shaking with absurd laughter, she vibrated as she stood, putting her hand up begging for a minute of reprieve.

“I have no plans to thrust myself upon your sword today, Prince Zenos.” She wanted to determine his intent. Would he kill her? Did he want to?

“Perhaps you will yet see those plans through. This is not a stage befitting a final battle.” He replied wistfully. “It would be a shame to see you fall victim to such a pathetic cause here and now.”

She faltered. He said – in so many words – he did not want to kill her despite her position. She should, or rather, she expected her own compatriots to believe she wanted to kill Zenos.

He sheathed the Katana in his hand in favor of the one she was used to seeing him carry when they sparred. Zenos held it up and stared her down over the long edge of the blade. “Dance with me, my dragon,” he whispered for no one to hear.


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2/2 for 12/1

“Are you all right?” Thancred asked. She always admired him. He was gruff and coarse. He managed to strike a balance between speaking his mind, forging his own path, and still supplicating the whims of the Scions.

“A bit of a wound to my pride, but I’ll be fine.”

He, Zenos, beat her – not terribly. Riding high from their brief conversation, she felt alive and her swordsmanship showed for it. In the end she broke his sword in two. He called her pathetic, but his words were empty. She could almost see the proud expression on his face to have finally broken his weapon, to have grown that strong. Through their dance he spoke volumes. She had much to consider.

“Alphinaud said you started laughing in front of him like a crazed person. Are you sure you didn’t hit your head?”

Perhaps she had. The thought of meeting him again, the sliver of hope that whatever warped happiness she found was still salvageable was all she could think about. Maybe she was crazy for considering meeting him again. There was no way she could hide behind convenient ignorance any longer.

“I was feeling overwhelmed, but clearly I managed just fine considering their retreat.”

“I’m thankful he did, but why did he just up and leave!?” Alphinaud jogged up to the pair after seeing to the injured scions. “As loathe as I am to admit it, he could have ended the rebellion here and now if he chose to.”

“He had his fill of entertainment,” Autumn replied tersely.

“Entertainment…I heard you two talking about that,” the Elezen started, “What exactly… It sounded like he was prepared to let you live. He said, ‘you might yet see your plans through?’”

Of course, Alphinaud was paying attention.

“Theatrical like his great-grandfather it seems,” she skirted around the truth. “Although you are right, he seemed like he didn’t want to kill me right then and there. He probably could have,” she looked down, “if he wanted to. Perhaps his boredom saved me.”

“Bored? That monster killed indiscriminately. I heard he even killed some of his own who got in his way. How could he make light of people’s lives and be bored!”

She held her tongue. They wound never understand the weight of such power.

She walked off, to hole up in her room at the reach to cool down. Shutting the door behind her quickly her heart jumped up into her throat. Someone had been in her room. Things were out of place. Papers were clumsily scattered. It wasn’t quite ransacked – had it been the soldiers?

Her bed sheets were out of place – she inclined her head at the strangeness of that. What could they have possibly been looking for? She went to fix them and felt something hard underneath the quilt. Peeling the dove grey blanket back she found an ornate bottle and a small note tied around it. The access card he gave her was sitting right next to it.

_A gift, to replace the liquor I wasted,_ was penned in neat Garlean script.

So that was how he found her room. Admiring the bottle, _he went to great lengths to put this here didn’t he? He seemed certain I operated out of Baelsar’s Wall._

She popped the cork and took a whiff of the fragrant spiced wine. She brought it into her arms and smiled – a strange way to go about giving a gift, but a gift nonetheless.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, she turned the bottle in her hand a few times before deciding to finally take a sip.

The wine took the edge off the guilt coiling around in her gut like a python. A massacre had just occurred, but her prevailing thought was, _I miss him._

Thinking about the offer Zie had given her...

Tomorrow.

Would Zenos honor that? His words and actions suggested he would. She had many questions. Did he plan this knowing full and well the events that would come to pass? The day after the slaughter at Rhalgr’s Reach – as it was being called – it simply couldn’t be coincidence.

She shook her head. She could not go. She had to end it. Before it got out of hand, before rumors started and the inevitable snooping began.

What a fool she was for thinking any kind of relationship with the opposition could have ended well. Well, she had not expected anything simple and clean, but this – the warrior of light could truly do nothing by halves.

Continuing to drink straight from the bottle, she let the day’s emotions wash over her, twisting her heart until tears began to fall.

The thought of returning to her bleak, depressing existence – she had been so happy – to relinquish that onze of happiness in her life, it was misery.

“Autumn!” she dimly heard Alisaie shout from the doorway. The girl must have heard her sobbing.

She knelt, “Autumn what’s wrong? What happened!” She glanced at the bottle of wine in her hands and tried to take it away.

The warrior ripped away from her touch. She would not allow her gift to be taken.

“Go away,” she growled.

“I can’t in good conscience leave you like this,” sweet Alisaie was trying to be helpful. “I need to make sure you’re okay.”

“I’m not okay!” She shouted.

“Tomorrow I’ll pull it together, but for one god’s damned day, please,” she begged, “you, your brother, the Scions, the alliance, the resistance, literally anybody who could possibly want something from me,” as the list she prattled off grew, so did her irritation, “just leave me the fuck alone! You can’t fix everything, you can’t save everything, you can’t make everything better by talking and sharing your feelings!” Her voice slowly rose.

Scared, Alisaie shook and wobbled for the door, retreating quickly. She ran to the others.

Alphinaud saw the conflict on his sister’s face immediately. “Alisaie! What’s wrong?”

With trembling fingers, she pointed to the living quarters, “Autumn is having a…” her voice squeaked, “a very bad evening. I’m worried…”

Walking up from behind her, Thancred placed a hand on the girl’s shoulder, “Best to just listen to her and give her some space. If it is even half as bad as all the shouting I heard, she needs a wide berth at present.”

“But!” Alisaie felt bad leaving a friend to suffer alone.

Alphinaud concurred, “It’s been a… taxing day for us all. For the Warrior especially I can’t begin to imagine how she must feel seeing all this death and destruction that even she was unable to prevent.”  
  



	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 1/2 for release day 12/8.

In the dark of night Autumn left presumably quietly, as quietly as a drunk person thought they were being. There was not a soul in sight, most personnel were evacuated to Baelsar’s Wall before sundown. She rode her chocobo, not wanting to have her travels logged in the Aetheryte streams. Encroaching headache signaling an imminent hangover, with every passing second, she told herself that this was a bad idea. Yet, she could not bear to jerk the reigns around she was already more than halfway there. Just passed sunrise, the waterfall loomed into view.

He was not there; it was early. She pitched a tent, then cleared out all the monsters – a bit less gracefully in her exhausted and sickly state. It gave her room to mope and cause to vent her frustrations.

She slept, washed herself up, finally once the queasiness in her stomach settled, she ate, and slowly began to feel better as the hours ticked by. Even if she wanted to leave during the day, her sickness was just too much.

Just as the sun began to set behind the cliffs in the late afternoon, she heard crunching. Nervously, her heart leapt into her throat. For all the times she thought of leaving with none the wiser it was now too late.

Crawling out of her tent, “You came,” she said. This was the Zie she knew him to be, without that ghoulish armor, without hair flowing around him like an untamed beast.

“I was wondering if you would be here. Although I didn’t expect you to be waiting for me like a lost puppy.”

“I was not.” She pouted, nearly forgetting who this man actually was. It was just so easy to slip into their personas.

“Prince Zenos-”

He sighed, looking perturbed.

“Warrior of Light-” to cut her off, he stepped forward, closing the distance between them.

She grimaced at the sound of her title on his lips. She hated that name.

“My name is Autumn, Autumn Lulius.”

“Lulius?” he quirked an eyebrow in surprise. “I’m aware of your mixed breeding, but are you in fact an imperial citizen?”

“…Yes, Autumn bas Lulius. I’m surprised you haven’t found out all there is to know about me by now.”

Zenos frowned but recovered quickly.

 _What was a daughter of house Lulius doing out here?_ He placed his hand lightly on her shoulder, “For you to be the Warrior of Light… I suppose I could have spared myself that surprise had I investigated you. But it would have made things decidedly less entertaining. In hindsight, your identity, your skills make perfect sense. There are very few people who might be able to fight me for any reasonable period.”

“It was fitting that our false guises fell away on a battlefield, was it not?”

She nodded slowly, refusing to back down, “Zenos yae Galvus, Legatus of the XIIth, Crown Prince to the Garlean Empire,” she chirped back to him, holding her ground. It was beginning to feel like the first day she met him all over again.

“No need to say it all,” he waved his hands as if to the clear the stench.

“I thought about this on the journey over… I do not fault you for hiding it, you know – well it would be hypocritical to do so. We both lied,” Autumn admitted. “We… our relationship would need to end the second we knew too much about one another. I was happy playing ignorant. I may be a fool, but I didn’t want to give that up. I think you enjoyed playing the fool as well.”

“To dare call me a fool,” he muttered, lips twitching into the briefest suggestion of a smile. “Is it as you said, do you mean for this tryst to end?” He asked her decidedly.

She held her tongue. She ought to say, yes this was the end. But if that was something her heart could truly bear; she would not have drunkenly stumbled her way across the country just to see him one last time.

“I did not say anything because I was entertained by your actions.” He continued in her silence, “How differently you would have reacted if I had made myself known to you? You would have been so unreceptive to my… advice. You would not have woken up to your reality. But now,” he took a step forward and cupped her face with his hand, “you’ve run towards me of your own volition. I see a real, beautiful fire burning in your eyes, hatred even.”

They stood facing each other, listening to the wind rush buy, unsure of how to advance.

“Is that hatred for me?” He asked quietly, searching her fierce eyes for fear. He brought his hand to her neck and traced her jaw with his fingers quietly. He was still amazed that he could reach out and touch this person that was strong enough to stand before him knowing full and well who he was. “We are meant to face each other on the final battlefield. One of us is meant to perish by the other’s hand. Must that be our squandered fate?”

She nuzzled into his hold on her, breathing deeply his scent – fresh linen, steel, a hint of ceruleum. Could she freeze this moment in time, she would.

His bright blue eyes gleamed for her answer.

“I should, shouldn’t I? You’ve committed countless atrocities against countless people, burned nations to the ground... and yesterday was no exception.” She recounted sadly.

He pursed his lips into a frown.

“But as hard as it may be to believe, you’ve also made me a better person, a stronger person, who can make her own decisions,” she brought a tremoring hand to her chest. She meant every word. “I don’t know what I am to do, but, truly, I can’t bring myself to care about what you’ve done, lest I add hypocrite to my rather long list of titles.”

“I,” she lowered her head, “-I could not bear it yesterday, to think of ending things on such a sour note. I cared for you,” she whispered, “I still do.”

Gently he tugged her forward into his embrace, placing a chaste kiss against her hairline, and then to her brow.

Autumn’s eyes glistened with unshed tears. _I am tired of fighting other peoples’ battles._

She closed her eyes when her felt his lips brush against the corner of her lips. So gentle, she could hardly believe this man was the very same Zenos of yesterday. She turned her head, seizing the last ilm of space, until their noses brushed together.

Kissing him as Zenos felt different. She could not hide from him; she could not hide from herself. She had to let go of the rules she clung to so dearly, it was terrifying but – this feeling – how long has it been since she felt so alive, like she could see the path of fate before her and select her own way, not forced onto the path of light time and time again. Pushed and pulled along by others no longer, only he had the power to free her from her luminous cage. Free from her prejudices, from her guilt, her shame to feel anything other than empathy for the weak and hatred for the enemy foisted upon her, she felt undeniably lighter.

How had she fallen so far?

Zenos cherished the feeling of her, only she who could move his heart, only she who could face him without the crutch of hate and rise to his challenge. He loved the way raw emotion buffeted against him, hatred was the easiest to produce, but desire was a rare thing. Only she desired him down to his very soul, the bleak thing that it was, and warmed it like pumping fresh aether into a dying star.

He pressed his lips to her jaw, and down her throat. He scraped his teeth against her collarbones. She turned her head, inviting the motion, gasping softly at the pleasure only he could bring her. Like this, his head bowed to her – only to her – he would worship her.

Because she accepted him. She accepted him. He was accepted. He did not realize he needed it, but now he understood how such a simple thing was the answer to the endless void he sought to fill. She gave him emotion. Even if he served as the mirror, her light would still touch him, and he would gladly reflect it with equal intensity.

“Zenos,” she broke their heated moment regretfully. “I have to leave soon – not here, right now, but Gyr Abania. After what happened at Rhalgr’s Reach a lot has changed.”

“You don’t have to do anything for them,” he murmured, still pleasantly hazy, “You’ve only just given me what I wanted.”

“I did ask you that.” She affirmed, remembering one of their earliest conversations.

He nodded, “Have you learned the answer then?”

She tilted her head, pondering her response, “I think… whatever answer I conjure up seems unlike you. I am wont to believe you wanted my love.”

“There was a time when that proved true, but the real answer is simpler.” He corrected her, “Love, emotion, these intangible things I have always struggled with comprehending them, their significance, their expression.”

“If you think you are alone struggling to understand love, then you are mistaken. Everyone struggles with that, everyone floats adrift waiting to find someone, something, some moment that their soul resonates with.”

This talk of souls… did she feel the same way as he did? Could she put a finger on the questions he was too broken to know to ask?

“The one who my soul resonates with – then it has only been you” He pressed his forehead against hers. “I knew that I wanted you, to be able to see you whenever I pleased, to know a fight with you could be at my fingertips, to rid myself of the deep seated boredom in my heart, to have a real friend whose soul sang in harmony with mine. Together we could while away the quiet hours, as friend,” he brought his brilliant blue eyes back up to gaze upon her seriously, “and confidante. I would have you become my equal.”

Heart hammering out of her chest, she was unprepared for such a declaration even though she knew to continue down this path after coming to realize his true identity there was only one outcome should she choose to stay the course, “That sounds like love.”

“I feel…” he closed his eyes again and smiled – to think he would ever say those two simple words, “So this is the elusive feeling of love. Stay with me; leave that life of bowing to the whims of lesser creatures behind. Even if you do not agree, I feel like I cannot allow you to walk away.”

“I can’t... I don’t know how. Our positions are… irreconcilable. I would be forsaking everything to grant you this.” she pushed back against him gently, stepping away from his intoxicating aura. “For galivanting off with the enemy, I would be a branded traitor, never able to return. I’ve seen the depth of their hate, the Eorzeans. To know that hate would be turned on me, even if I truly want to be rid of their burdens, there is still so much to lose - everything.”

“Irreconcilable?” he stared down at the woman before him, “You are here, are you not? You’ve accepted who I am. I, knowing fully who you are, bade you to stay. Who, my dearest, is this arrangement unacceptable to?”

“The world!” she exclaimed.

“The world does nothing but use you. You are content to be used?” He growled, displeased with her response. He would have her, but he did not want to break her in the process if he could help it.

“No,” she sighed, “I’ve had… time to think. Things must change. They do. So that they can afford their precious light, it is I who delves into the shadows such brightness inevitably casts.” She curled her hand into a fist, “But I just - I can’t just leave.”

“Do not feel guilty for leaving them to their fates. If they are too weak to remain alive, it is not your fault. Had you never appeared…?”

“I wonder about that. What if I never existed? How many people’s fates have I changed? How much have I sacrificed for that?” she turned her back and looked out over the landscape, “I feel like I should say that you’ve corrupted me,” she laughed dryly, “but that’s not true. You just saw the imbalance that was always there. I don’t know if I should thank you for offering me a path to freedom or begrudge you for making my life difficult.” Her smile was forced, bittersweet. Her eyes were mournful.

“I’ve walked the path of light for so long now. But I doubt it. You opened my eyes to the cracks, the whole system so dependent on my sacrifice, my blind loyalty. And I’ve learned that light is not synonymous with good. The cracks I’ve found…”

She paused, “The things they said about you after you retreated- That you had the audacity to be so flippant over lives lost -That you didn’t care. Because THEY cared; they were hurting.” She trembled, “How dare they denounces the massacre you wrought. Did I not do the same at the Praetorium? At Castrum Meridianum? My happiness had turned to ashes the moment I saw you, and I still wanted to defend you.”

“Then why did you come if you thought our time together was at an end?”

“Because gods damn it all I hoped it didn’t have to be that way!”

“It doesn’t have to be that way,” he cooed softly, “I’ve offered you a place by my side.”

“To do so would come at a grave price. Blood – I would not be given up so easily by my allies, but if I walked away, how could they ever stand to see me again? I’d lose my foothold in Eorzea, the primals, the ranked beasts… all of it.”

“Let them bleed and suffer for their selfishness. Have you not done that enough of that on their behalf? You will lose some things, but all can be regained with time, proper planning… the right initiative. Do not fret. We are drawn to each other for a reason, because we can entertain each other properly, because we understand better than anyone how the rules of our game are different.”

Zenos closed the distance she created between them again, longing to feel her warmth, “It is something that cannot be understood by the weak. How we are numb to the mundane, how we only come alive through proper challenge. Too used to being spoon fed your next mark, I shall teach you how to hunt if you desire it.” he brushed his knuckles against her throat.

Her thin tail flicked nervously between their legs. “Spoon fed,” she huffed. “Aye, there was a time when it felt like I was slaughtering a primal dumped at my doorstep every other day – each more powerful than the last. But now, the Scions traipse around from country to country volunteering me to solve their problems, large and… mostly small. I want to live for myself, but all I do is live for others. My life no longer feels like my own.”

“It seems you know the answer you truly desire. Get your affairs in order – I will grant you time because I am capable of patience. But the next time we meet I will have you.”

“But the cost!”

“Am I not the prince of an empire? If they wage war in your name, I shall cut them down; if they keep you from a hunt, I will clear the way. Let them hate you, let them see the sum of their mistakes come to pass! For they do not hate you, my dearest, you who have done _everything_ for them. They hate themselves and you simply serve as the blinding reflection.”

He wanted to keep her so badly, he could not perfectly contain that feeling.

“I’m terrified of the consequences. There is no turning back.”

“So, you’re considering it.” He ascertains. “If it is an issue of conscience, shall I make the cost of you staying away from me greater? Would that be enough to tip the scales? How many deaths will warrant your brave sacrifice?” he nearly sneers.

“That will not be necessary. I… I want to. I do. I just… I need time.” She punctuated her declaration with a kiss. 

“Zenos,” she gasped when he finally deemed air a necessity, “please, before I go back,” she begged, “give me more, mark me – I want them to see what you’ve done to me.”


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2/2 for release day 12/8

Autumn staggered back into Rhalgr’s reach just passed dusk, straightening at the entrance to hide her slight limp. Her neck, her shoulders, her thighs, were all bruised and pock marked with a peppering of bites and handprints that, true to her word, she would not hide.

Thancred whistled, “fun evening?” he threw his weight forward, pulling himself off the crumbling pillar he was leaning on.

“He was very worried when he heard the news yesterday.” She lied with a sporting blush, guilt tickling at the fringes of her conscience.

“I never took Aymeric for the violent sort.”

“Why does everyone know-,” she drug her hand down her face, “I haven’t even seen him since the end of the war… their war,” she huffed, “Aymeric and I… that wasn’t meant to last.”

“So, it seems,” he hummed. “Alphinaud is going to have a tantrum when he sees you.”

Autumn scoffed, “Let him. My escapades are none of his concern.”

The man was grinning like a Cheshire cat. “I, for one, am glad to see your spirits up after what transpired last night.”

She did not want to talk about that, “Even the Warrior of Light needs a good cry every now and again.”

Thancred eyed her suspiciously but did not press the matter.

“I wonder for Alphinaud’s reaction once he catches wind of your return. He was chewing through his fingernails while you were away. Has he worked up a crush on you, you think?”

“A child – goodness. He is barking up the wrong tree. Completely not my type.”

“Arrogant and inconsiderate?”

Zenos was both of those things – was her immediate thought. “That’s a bit generic... I was going to say young and much too short.”

“I heard you call me short, both of you!” The boy in question stormed up, faltering mid step within 5 fulms of the Warrior. He saw the evidence for her disappearance.

“Oh, uhm, glad to see you hale and… whole,” he averted his gaze. “The camp was in a tizzy when we learned you missing. It seems to be a relatively new pattern though. I suppose we have our reason?” He coughed uncomfortably.

“You’re one of the last to find out, I assure you.”

He took a half step back in surprise, “How-!”

“Alisaie knew, and girls certainly talk.”

“Alisaie knew!?”

“She found out pretty fast, actually. Begged me for details,” Autumn grinned, enjoying every moment the young Elezen spent writhing in discomfort over the conversation.

“I don’t want to know!” he yelped, “as long as you’re back… just tell someone next time before you disappear for a day? No one here judges you for seeing someone in your free time. If they’ve captured the Warrior of Light’s heart they must be a remarkable person.”

She smirked. Oh, how right he was.

“Remarkable?” she snorted, fully ready to toy with him some more, “If even my lovers must be remarkable, that does not leave me with many options out here in this wasteland.” Thancred stood off to the side and watched their exchange with great amusement. “How am I supposed to hold a stable relationship when I’m traipsing across the world every other month? Maybe I was only looking for a pretty face with _remarkable_ skills.” She edged deeply into awkward territory.

“That’s enough!” his voice cracked, “I’m sorry for prying. I’ve clearly upset you.”

“Clearly,” she chirped back. “Stay out of business you are too young for.” She called out as he slinked away. But he stopped and turned around. Shoulders lowered and sullen, he approached her again.

“Actually,” he breathed, “We can’t keep doing this, being at each other’s throats with snide remarks. I wanted… I wanted to apologize,” he looked up at her, “truly… Alisaie she knocked some sense into me. I wanted to apologize sooner, but you were busy, and then,” he swept his arm over the charred remains of the Reach, “this happened, and there was simply no time. I’m sorry for being such an ass of late – I thought myself cured of arrogance after the mess with the Crystal Braves but it still seems I have some room to grow in that department. I…” he faltered, “I haven’t treated you with the respect you’ve earned, I haven’t given you room to make your own decisions. I will try to do better – no – I will do better in the future.”

The glare cast in his direction softened. “So, you know some of your faults then? Come talk to be again when you figure out the last one.”

“There is more!?” he was taken aback. And… the glare was back.

“Don’t think a simple apology will let you off the hook so easily.” She scolded him. “I appreciate you trying to make amends, but I will not accept tasks done by half.”

“I… yes,” he deflated, “I will reflect further upon my actions.” He walked away for good this time.

You gave him a good spanking.

“Ugh, seriously? Thancred!”

“Humor me,” he grinned, “what else did he do to piss you off. I won’t say a word to him, I swear.”

“As obtuse as that boy is, he may need some nudging if he can’t figure it out for himself,” Autumn shook her head.

She looked at Thancred and held up a closed fist, “One, and two are as he said, he has been disrespectful, and he has been usurping my ability to make my own decisions. As for the third,” she held up a final finger, “I suppose it’s a compound issue with the second for, not only is he volunteering me for things without my consent, but the tasks he is volunteering me for are beneath me. He had me run letters a few weeks back! And let me tell you, there was no shortage of others who could have done it, for I ran right past recruits playing in the stream over there,” she pointed, “without a care in the world.”

Thancred snickered, “Well, it’s not entirely his fault. You agreed to run letters, did you not?”

She nodded, “I have been too complacent, and he has taken advantage of that. That task was one of the last before I fully realized our imbalanced dynamic.”


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry its a few days late >.< I had a WIP chapter in this next release that I was sulking about for these past two days. 
> 
> However, it is a good time to announce that there will be a bonus publication on Christmas day, to wrap up part one. Excluding the three chapters posted today, there are four chapters left before I take a break and gather my energy to make part two a reality. I will be doing two next Tuesday, and then two on Christmas day.
> 
> Chapter 1/3 for release day 12/17 (should have been 12/15)

Autumn crawled out of the simulation at Azys Lla. Her arms trembled; every fiber of her body ached. She spread out on the cold, grooved metal floor and panted, looking at the ceiling. Another failed attempt. Zenos would have succeeded, she knew.

But she was getting closer. Even though the simulation was formulaic to a certain extent, undoubtedly she could tell that she had improved – her reactions just a bit quicker, her judgement greedier, calmer, more cool-headed. She needed to wail on a training dummy without the distraction of laser beams, and raging primals to determine if the things she noticed could be turned into techniques.

She closed her eyes, _where can I find one…_

Chest still hammering – the feeling of dying, that cold snap of fear before all fades to black, she was not calm yet. Perhaps these simulations were good for that too – to fear death would only hinder her. Slowly, slowly to become numb to the feeling, fewer matters to divide her attention. Her sole desire was for perfect form, perfect placement, perfect strength.

Though she sung her own praises of her dance, her art carefully refined into perfection, it was not perfect. Perhaps perfect aesthetically, but not perfect in intent. No wasted breath, no wasted step – her mobility as a red mage became her crutch that she would cast aside.

She was remaking herself from her fighting style, to her personal life. To hone her mind, her body, her perspective. She learned the brutal lesson of being above average. To be good enough to be relied on, not good enough to be avoided with tasks that are disrespectfully simple. No one dared to bother people like Master Matoya.

Everything must change, and everything would. Parted with her other weapons, the only blade to her name was the rapier dangling loosely from her half curled hand. With no weapons, no armor, nothing of value left, what good were the four walls of a home? She sold that too, paying a hefty sum for the buyer’s discretion.

There was nothing left to her old life stinking of complacency like stagnant waters. She used to be humble yet showed off her accomplishments with pride. The wrong approach - now she sought to humble herself before the blade, to become a simple warrior with nothing but pride in herself and her art. She was stronger for it.


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2/3 for release day 12/17

“Aulus, have one of your dogs pull what information you can find on house Lulius and have it sent to me.” Zenos interrupted the man in his laboratory.

“House Lulius? I’m afraid there won’t be much. Their line fizzled out quietly when the last patriarch died without an heir. It was actually somewhat recent,” he mused to himself. “The old man died only a few years back. He outlived his only son. What value could a dead house be to you in Gyr Abania, My Lord?”

“I have caught the scent of a living descendent. I want to validate their legitimacy and have their house returned from the royal holdings if my research proves fruitful.”

“You? Caring about a noble house?” his laugh quickly fizzled seeing the glare on the young man’s face. “Forgive me, I was merely surprised.”

Zenos made for the exit.

“I will see it done immediately, Lord Zenos,” he bowed, but the gesture was wasted to the view of the back of his head.

-

A plate of half eaten cheese stood drying out on his desk, “Cassisus wir Lulius, last patriarch of house Lulius. Son, Cyprian wir Lulius, exiled in his thirties for stealing from the estate, among other crimes,” he mumbled to himself. Zenos sat up straighter, “died 5 years prior to his father under the employ of the Kugane embassy.”

He tapped his fingers against the lacquered surface of his desk, “perhaps it is true.”

Aulus was right. Had their line been extinguished in a bang rather than a whimper, perhaps there would have been a better trail of records.

He left the document open on the magitek device and stood. He would learn no more from what few records there were.

_No known living relatives – estate held by the Galvus Royal Family until an heir comes forward or the estate is absorbed after the requisite time limit._

When he found Aulus again it was in the staging room for their most recent experiments. “Lord Zenos!” He straightened up from the control panel he was hunched over. “Back so soon?”

“As you said, there was not much. Do you have the ability to determine a blood relationship between two people?”

“Hoh? So, there was a crumb to be had? As a matter of fact, there is such a device. I need a sample of hair from both parties. Which may prove difficult.”

“Their estate should have been locked after it was foreclosed upon. There might be some useful dirt lying in a corner. That-” or Zenos brought a hand to his chin, “or we could simply exhume the body.”

“You will need the Emperor’s permission for such a thing.”

“I am confident enough in the outcome, such that if I am right, I would be paying him a visit anyway.”

“Send someone to notify my father and collect the sample,” he ordered the scientist. “I can procure the other easily enough.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spell check hates final fantasy, lol :,)


	34. Chapter 34

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3/3 for release day 12/17

Autumn came back to the beaches of Onokoro covered in salt and blood, her hair was beige and stiff, soggy, and her limbs were heavy. She vaulted herself up to the top of the wooden scaffolding and laid out on the deck. The sun felt good against her face. The salt drying tightly against her skin, the cool water still dripping from her hair all felt nice in the precious few moments of reprieve after exertion.

“Autumn,” she wrinkled in displeasure at the sound of his voice, “We’ve been worried about you…”

“Who is we?” She groaned. If she had not been tired and content with a sunning like an outstretched cat, her tone would have sounded curt.

“Myself, Alisaie, Lyse, Tataru, even Urianger told me that you’ve been spending too much time in Azys Lla.”

“What is your point.”

“You’ve been acting odd since you were… bested at Rhalgr’s Reach,” Alphinaud watched her nose twitch. He must have hit the nail on the head.

“And?”

“If there is something bothering you any one of us would be happy to listen. I get the feeling that you are pushing yourself too hard, and we don’t want you to hurt yourself. We don’t think it’s healthy to be overworking yourself like this as an outlet for-”

“Alphinaud, enough,” She sighed quietly. “I’m not throwing a tantrum because Zenos beat me – quite the opposite actually.”

He took a half-step back in surprise. “The opposite? Pray tell. I don’t understand.”

She held her hand up to the sky and watched the light filter through her fingers, “I’m focused on getting stronger, because I am inspired.”

“By Zenos?” He asked incredulously.

She scoffed, “Is that so hard to believe? Can a monster not feel the pull of another monster?”

Alphinaud was uncertain, “But, you’re not a monster. You and Zenos are nothing alike. Is that why you’re so worked up?”

Autumn jumped to her feet in a swift motion. She pressed her hand on Alphinaud’s head. “I’m fine.” She walked away to find somewhere quieter.

_You know nothing about me._

She should have left with Zenos when he gave her the chance. She knew that Gyr Abania was lost for the meanwhile but adding Doma’s war – Alphinaud’s brilliant suggestion to have her fight two wars to split Zenos’ attention – she felt like a bitter imposter in the Warrior of Light’s skin. The part that made her laugh was that Zenos’ did not even care, nor would a split battlefield truly matter if he did care. They would certainly have better luck bribing the man outright.

She feared the consequences, even still. But what scared her more was envisioning a future where she continued down this straight and narrow hero’s path, grinning and bearing the worlds burdens as her own. Even factoring her relationship with Zenos out of the question, she knew that something had to change. She could not keep operating like she was, could not keep fighting, slaughtering people, living with those deaths and the ardor and the criticism. It was too much to bear, too much to live up to. As depressed as she was going into the Ala Mhigan’s war, by the time the next conflict rolled around – as it inevitably would – she could imagine a future where they ask too much, the cost is too great, but she does it anyway, not because by her own selfless desire, but instead because self-sacrifice would be a easy way to end it all.


	35. Chapter 35

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 1/2 for 12/23.

“Father,” Zenos barely regarded the man as he strode into the throne room.

The Emperor held up a piece of paper accusingly, “I got your letter.”

“Give me the sample and I’ll be on my way. My ship readies for Doma as we speak.”

“What are you planning?” Varis narrowed his eyes. “You’ve never taken in interest in the machinations of the noble houses. That has always been my domain. I would like to know the reason for this before I hand you anything. I will not have chaos in my court.”

“It is as I stated in the letter. I believe I have found a descendant of house Lulius – it is likely Cyprian fathered a bastard.”

He raised his eyebrows. “I suggest you let it go. Reinstating house Lulius would only cause problems. They are too closely related to Solus for it to bring about anything else than a challenger to the throne.”

“How quick you are to assume the bastard is male.”

“He had a daughter?” Varis’ mind churned with the new information, processing the implications. “Even if he had a daughter, that girl would inevitably bear sons.”

Dripping with sarcasm, “I am touched you seem to care about the stability of my future reign. But when those matters area so far out, down you think I should be able to decide and live with those consequences? I am the tactician between the two of us. Perhaps you should trust my judgement.”

“I trust you as far as I could throw you.”

“Liar,” he smiled capriciously, “You trust my judgement explicitly, or else you wouldn’t entrust me with your two biggest problem areas.” He spoke of Doma and Gyr Abania. “I’m merely trying to restore a one great house to its former glory,” he skirted the truth with a knowing smile on his face, “to do a great service to our great nation. What is the harm in that?”

“Ha! I’d sooner believe you a pacifist before you do anything out of love for your country.”

“The meaning behind my reasons are my own. However, to assuage you out of immense and tender concern for your well being, dearest father, I assure you that, if legitimized, she would not cause you undue trouble.”

“She will not cause trouble?” He parroted with an air of belligerent disbelief. “If you have a hand in it there will absolutely be trouble. You need to tell me what is going on inside that head of yours or I won’t sanction anything.”

Varis narrowed his eyes, “The fact that you’re hiding her identity, going through such trouble…”

“Clear the room.” Zenos looked pointedly at the twin guards standing at the base of his father’s throne. A few door men and other servants dotted the interior. The twins looked to their Emperor, who merely sighed and waved his hand.

Once the room was dreadfully silent, Varis stood and approached his son, the clinking of his metal filagree a harsh contrast to the eerie stillness.

“She needs protection.” Zenos put simply. “I’m going through the trouble because I know the value a title has. It’s relatively low hanging fruit, or I would not have bothered. If I am right, it’s rightfully hers anyway.”

“But like I said, she is a liability. Better off dead if it does prove true… You still have yet to tell me why you are doing this. You do not act in favor to others.”

“No one else has earned the privilege.” He snipped.

“If I did not know you any better, I would think you in love with the girl. That’s the only time men go around looking for titles to beque-”

The set glare in Zenos eyes gave him away.

“Seven hells…”

Varis exhaled deeply through his nose. To acquiesce would be to approve. Given he was woefully underinformed about his son’s love interest, this was a scary prospect. On the other hand, he knew that there was little he could do to control to boy.

However, if Zenos’ love was a one-sided obsession…

He did not think he would find himself playing a proper father now, “I find it hard to believe there is a single woman out there who would put up with you.”

Zenos knew he would not lose face so easily, to say what he truly meant. “She may be the only one.”

Varis did not want to see his slack jawed look. He must look the fool, so incredibly… disturbed by the shift in Zenos. Whoever this woman was, she would be either the best or worst thing to ever happen to his boy. He was certain. 

“So, you will nip the issue in the bud by joining the houses.” He stated plainly.

“Your primary issue was moot from the start.”

“And conferring her with, I assume, her proper title would appease those who care for appearances and pedigree.” He paced around, picking his way through the prince’s reluctantly given thoughts.

Indifferent, “While it is a convenient boon, it would not have stopped me.”

“Of course not.” His bellicose son was still in there, but the fact he was able to wrangle the truth from him and host a proper conversation, Varis could sense the slightest shift, long overdue maturation.

“If I meet her and disapprove,” Varis turned around to look his boy, “it is grounds for demotion. I already find you unfit for your office, but I have held off because you yet have time.” He truly wanted to doubt that outcome. But a piece of him worried that he would find a woman just as broken and unstable.

“I have no sights for the throne. You, Solus, any man will rot upon it.”

“Nor did I when I was your age, but many things change in the span of a few decades. Your present desire has little to do with the matter. If you wish to abdicate, now that you intend to wed, your best option would be to produce a suitable heir.”

Zenos made a sour face. “I will not suffer you to change the target of your nagging. Let this be the end of your concerns over my virility, or you shall find me far less gracious in how I choose to rebuff you.”

Varis sighed. He still had a long way to go. “Fine, I suppose you have earned some small measure of respite. Visit the crypts and inquire for the sample. It will be ready by the time you arrive.”


	36. Chapter 36

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2/2 for 12/23

“Come, come! We must tell the others of this airship or hear what they know of it!” Yugiri exclaimed, already half-turned to the exit to race back to the base.

Together with the Warrior of Light they returned out of breath, Yugiri keeping a breakneck pace. She feared for her people, the liberation front, if the airship were to come to bear against them…

“There you are! What happened? Are the villagers all right?” Lyse ran up to us, genuinely concerned.

“W-We freed them, along with many others. But the airship – Gosetsu,” She turned to her partner, “we spied an airship bound for the castle. Know you aught of it?

“Aye, that we do… The crown prince is come to Doma.”

Alisaie chimed in related to the prince but Autumn was frozen in nervous shock. He had found her. He had come for her. The time drew near.

“…Zenos is here, we must seize this opportunity and kill him.” Yugiri held her head high and her conviction was palpable.

The looks she received around the room – all but one, survivors of the previous encounter with the monster she proffered to attack – were grim in warning.

“Mayhaps you forget what happened at the reach. He bested the resistance, the alliance, and the scions,” Lyse clenched her fist hearing Alisaie’s words, “He toyed with the Warrior of Light. He may have beat us that day, but we have learned. If we are going to defeat him, it will take more than a good opportunity, but rather a flawless plan.”

“We know his strengths, an unparalleled swordsman trained by the finest masters from a young age. We cannot dare to meet him on the battlefield, but the shadows are the realm of the shinobi.”

The gathered were grim. Not even Gosetsu spoke up in her favor.

“Does no one believe in me? This is our chance, I will not see it wasted, even if I must go it alone.” Yugiri sprinted off, upset by her lack of support.

The Scions stood around somberly. They knew what it meant to attack that man, but it was also no use to convince her otherwise. Their grim looks, they prayed for her safe return.

Autumn walked away first. If Zenos had truly come – she stilled her shaking hands. Had she done enough? She quietly sold her house, an unfairly low sale price was offered for the buyer’s discretion, but she would have little use for the money soon enough. She released her retainers and applied for inactivity with her free company – they would not want her come the morrow.

She had done everything asked of her. No more secret outings, no indulgences. She had been a saint – again. She knew she would be collecting on just about every favor she had stored up and then some.

All in secret, she rid herself of all possession except what she could carry. It was her thoughts that hung heavy in her mind. Would they hate her? Would she look back in a year and care?

She didn’t know the answers to so many questions. The risks were daunting. She was to become a villain because she was selfish. She couldn’t be selfless anymore… she couldn’t.


	37. Chapter 37

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 1/2 for 12/25. Merry Christmas!

“…Did Gosetsu send you to stop me?” Her expression was conflicted. Autumn had never seen those two so severely at odds.

“No.”

“Then you came of your own free will? I should be surprised if you agreed with my chosen course. No one else did.” Her tail brushed weakly against the back of her legs in defeat.

**“** But it is not as fanciful as they would have you believe. His impatience is to our advantage.” She continued, “He arrived without warning and gave Yotsuyu no time to prepare. The whole castle is in state of upheaval. To avoid any delay, he has declined a full escort, and will be traveling with no more than a handful of soldiers. The kami could not have blessed us with more auspicious circumstances. I will kill him. I will.”

_He doesn’t want to inspect the moon gates. He is light on escorts because he wants fewer eyes on our deal – perhaps fewer dead._ She shook her head. He never cared about causalities.

“I know everyone thinks this plan is a suicide mission, but I’m happy to have your support. While that monster is here in my homeland, I would bring dishonor to Lord Kaien if I did not try to kill him.”

“I can explain more on the way, but we must hurry.”

_If I left you go alone, it would have been a suicide mission, Yugiri._

Autumn followed and hid along the broken rooftops dotting the shoreline. “There he is! With Yotsuyu!” she heard the shinobi hiss. “We need to pick off those soldiers quietly. Let’s go.”

One by one she takes them out, dutifully following along with someone else’s plans – it was easy to slip back into that role. They were caught with about a third of the guards remaining; although Autumn was suspicious the Prince was permitting his guards to be killed – for whatever reason. She could not believe that Zenos was so oblivious, Yotsuyu… maybe.

Yugiri leapt for the shadow, aimed for the prince’s neck. It wouldn’t work. Autumn stayed the shaking of her head. It was never going to work.

“How weak you are.” Zenos fended off her attack with a simple turn and parry, sending her flying backwards.

“Shinobi!? And me without my brute…” Yotsuyu muttered, pointing to the intruders, “After them!”

“This is only the beginning! For Lord Kaien! For Doma!” Yugiri leapt in a final attempt for the Prince’s head.

Zenos swatted her away without turning his back to the Warrior of Light. She passively watched as Yugiri rolled to the ground. She let out a breath she was holding when she saw the rise and fall of the Au’ra’s chest. She was not yet dead.

“Is this the sum of your hate?” He loomed over her. He was decidedly bored.

Autumn had trained hard for this moment. Wanting to show off a little, she felled the remaining combatants with a single skill. She could feel the heat of his gaze, that he understood her intentions. It was her display of sport. The silent bond betwixt them grew. He was brimming with energy, barely holding back.

With katana drawn, she stood before him. At his rear, Yotsuyu cowered. In his armor he looked like every bit of the demon she knew him to be. But, she also knew both of his sides, she liked them both, his ruthlessness and all. She had accepted him after all.

His honesty and straightforwardness was refreshing. He cowed to no man – perhaps save the emperor himself – as twisted as he was, there was something very admirable about his black and white values. Even as a prince he was freer than Autumn had ever been.

Preempting him, Autumn pulled out her staff and immobilized the shinobi with a powerful sleep spell. “She won’t bother us further, Zie.” She walked forward, blade trailing behind her, and pressed her hand over the top of his.

Zenos relented and sheathed his weapon and removed his helmet. “I hoped you would not have rats following after you. To think I had to expend such efforts on the unworthy.” He complained.

“Her desire to kill you allowed me to meet you with little secrecy. She created convenience.”

“Perhaps her hatred will amount to something more if she lives,” he appraised the scales of life and death, “knowing full well what transpired, complicit in delivering her greatest hope into the hands of her greatest enemy. Though,” he turned to her slumped body once again, “I doubt this lizard would ever amount to something worthy… for either of us. I saw it in your face, you watched her leap to her doom with naught but a disinterested stare.” He laughed thinly.

“So, you saw that?” she gazed at him coyly. “We did try to warn her.”

“Thankfully, she is not dead. I don’t need to give my companions more reasons to hate you right now.” She settled the matter with a wave of her hand. “Waste no further energy on her, or I shall be simply bored of hearing you complain about it.” She teased with confidence.

“Lord Zenos!” Yotsuyu finally found her voice. “What is the meaning of this!”

He slapped her, “Insolence! You dare think you can demand answers of me?”

A confident smirk on her lips, she closed the distance between herself and the prince, and kissed him greedily. She opened her eyes briefly to view Yotsuyu’s shocked expression. Zenos stroked her back in delight and nipped at her lips to show his insistence.

“I missed you,” Autumn said as she pulled away, arms still lingering around his neck.

“I have come for you.”

“I know,” she replied, barely concealing her nerves. This was the point of no return. It was a whirlwind relationship – it was so wrong, she and Zenos were like pillars on opposite sides of the world in light and shadow. “I’ve had some time to plan and ready an exit strategy.”

“You have earned your prize. I will give it to you,” he cooed in her ear, entire ignoring Yotsuyu’s strangled, barely concealed outrage. He would give her anything she wanted, as much as he could. He was a prince after all. What wasn’t at his fingertips to offer?

“Y-you you two are-!” she babbled aloud, unable to comprehend what she was seeing.

“Fucking?” you supply the word with equal parts amusement and condescension, “Yes.”

“Impossible.”

You roll your eyes, turning your attention back to more important matters, “I wish to be an exchange. I will trade myself for your withdrawal from Ala Mhigo. And-”

“And?” he slid his hand down your arm to take up your hand.

“And I’d like to you become acting Viceroy of Doma. Let us stay here for a while.” She squeezed his hand.

“I thought you didn’t care for the people of Ala Mhigo.” He tested her.

“I don’t. They are merely useful. I created a story to explain my actions because I would like to give them a final gift – finishing what they had me to start. Absolved of my final duties, I owe them no longer. I wish to incite just enough goodwill to perhaps salvage my ability to enter Eorzea in the future.”

“I can’t give up all of Ala Mhigo, but I can cede some land. It is sufficient for us to keep the Lochs, but the savages can have the rest.”

Autumn thought quietly on the matter, “They won’t take kindly to you retaining their capitol. You will need to offer something else. Mayhaps assisted relocation and resources as reparations for the Reach? If you stay in the region you may also need to agree to a pact of non-hostility.”

“I have my reasons for maintaining the capitol even at great cost. I can agree to these alternative terms. However, this is but an offer to the savages. If they choose not to accept it -”

“Then my efforts are once again wasted.” She shrugged. “There is one final loose end, however.” Your eyes moved to the frail black-clad figure standing out of place in your reunion.

“I leave her to your discretion, my dear.”

“No, no, no!” she cried, “My Lord-!” she begged.

Autumn drew her blade and took off her head in one clean strike. “Far more mercy than you deserved.”

“Zie,” Autumn looked at him with a light smile, “shall we away?”

“Yes, my princess.”

The hoard of villagers armed with their pickaxes and hoes, the scions, the Doman liberation army, they were but minutes too late.


	38. Chapter 38

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2/2 for 12/25

“Yugiri!” Alphinaud ran when he saw a lump on the ground. “Yugiri!” he cried out when he knew it was her and slumped to the ground to check her condition.

“I found her!” he yelled out to alert his search party.

“Alphinaud?” She fluttered her eyes open. “What-”

“I could ask you that. You never came back. Where is the Warrior of Light?”

She sat up and looked around. There were marks littering the ground. “I- I don’t know. She was face-to-face with Zenos, and then-” she gasped, “I’m sorry I don’t know. I passed out.”

“Do not strain yourself, full glad am I to know you are alive.”

“Alphinaud!” Alisaie shouted from across the beach. “I’ve found …Yotsuyu! Oh twelve!”

He helped the Au’ra to her feet and slowly helped his compatriot over to the body.

“She killed her,” Yugiri said. “She must have managed that much.” She closed her eyes in thanks and regret. The Warrior of Light could be dead or worse because of her rash desire to kill someone who was untouchable. “It’s my fault,” she croaked, “I knew this would be an impossible mission, and I let her come with me.”

“It’s not your fault, Yugiri. She made her own decision to take on Lord Zenos. But that does bring us to an important point. If Zenos took her, we must move fast and find her before it’s too late. We must save her, or the war is all but lost.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that concludes my planned schedule for part 1! I'll be taking a short break from weekly posting to clean up the chapters planned for part 2. I'll see you all next year! Thanks so much for reading, liking, and commenting on this story! Zenos needs all our love <3


	39. Chapter 39

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 1/3 for release 2/2
> 
> Welcome to part two! I'm back (mostly on schedule) with another 40ish or so chapters of Reformation planned. ...Why the hell am I investing so much time into this?...
> 
> Originally I thought I would have 30 chapters per part, but if part 1 is anything to go by, I actually have 40 per part. Thus, I have increased the expected chapter count to 120. For all you Zenos fans out there - rejoice! 
> 
> Part two (fingers crossed) will run continuously through May 8th at a minimum, updating every Tuesday, per my usual.

Standing at the threshold of Castrum Fluminus as a guest rather than an intruder was a strange feeling. She strode in matching the presence of the man beside her, but kept her face hidden underneath her wide brimmed cloak.

She watched the soldiers line up and salute their leader who lumbered through the crowed without sparing a glace, as a prince should.

They stopped in front of a woman with a different, more garish uniform.

“We are honored to receive you at Castrum Fluminus once again My Lord,” the shrill voice of a female came from the helm.

With an unimpressed stare and nary a word of acknowledgement, Zenos stood waiting for her to swipe her access card.

The gate slowly rising, she stepped forward, “I-if I may, how should we address your guest?” She asked nervously. After weighing the risk of agitating the prince with a pointless question, or accidentally offending an unknown guest, she chose the former.

He stopped. Without bothering to turn his head to the tremoring soldier asking the question, he scoffed and took another step forward. “You are beneath her.” He left it at that, leaving the Warrior to trail in his footsteps, awkwardly turning her attention away from presumably the head officer.

“Understood My Lord!” she affirmed with a sharp salute though no eyes fell upon her to see it.

Catching up with the Prince’s long stride, she lightly placed her hand on top of Zenos’ forearm and willed herself to be calm. She was not here to invade, or to fight. She was a guest and could not help but feel unsettled, jittery. The feeling well ingrained into her body that chaos was bound to happen – as it always did.

Once alone she uncloaked herself, shaking out her matted hair. “Are you normally like that?”

“They don’t deserve my attention.” He answered her tangentially.

“I suppose not, but clearly they are starved for it. Care you not for their devotion and loyalties?” it was more a hypothetical question than anything else.

“If I attended to everyone who sought my attention, I would be a servant, not a prince.” He watched her move here and there making herself comfortable. “I do nothing to warrant their zeal. But I do appeal to their basest instinct – to covet something valuable, rare, powerful which they do not possess – nor will they ever, but oh how they try like mice caught in a wheel.”

Autumn’s eyes glittered with amusement, “Did I catch your attention then? Is that it?”

“I have an eye for good talent.” He walked over placing both hands firmly on her shoulders. Despite inheriting her father’s height, Zenos still towered over her. “I have some business to take care of shortly. In my absence you are welcome to terrorize them at your pleasure.”

“Terrorize?” She asked incredulously.

“I will not tell you what to do, but you could always give them the attention you pointed out they so desperately crave. Or…” the gears in his mind turned at the possibility, “why don’t you go interact with them, yes. Act like me, observe them, see how they scurry and dance for you.”

“To what end?” genuinely confused – half-concerned – by this request, she needed to justify her actions.

“Hmm, you claim to excel at breaking into castrums. Why don’t you test the security gallivanting around as an imposter – see how far confidence and threats can take you? I’ll even let you kill a couple of them,” she smiled devilishly.

She backed up, stunned. “I may have killed more of your kin than I’d like to admit, but I take no pleasure in wasting a life without cause.”

“Find one.” He began to walk past her. “I know you have no issues with killing. Don’t pretend to have a conscience now.”


	40. Chapter 40

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2/3 for release 2/2

“Aulus,” Zenos held up a strand of hair pinched between his fingers.

“How long do the results take?”

“Not long, My Lord,” he walked over and took the sample in gloved hand. Quickly he walked to a case containing the other sample and brought it over to a small countertop device. “I had this device delivered to the ship while we were in Ilsabard,” He explained.

Once the samples were locked in place he turned to the prince, “It will be only a few minutes. It would make sense for you to simply wait here.”

He nodded,

“I heard chatter from some of the guards that there was a mysterious guest in the castrum below.” Zenos looked out the window and at the sea below. “Was it… her?”

“Yes.” He replied. “The sample is fresh, if it makes a difference.”

“It does not. Although I noticed her hair color certainly matches Cyprian’s.”

“You have seen him, then?”

Aulus nodded, “I suspect you have as well… though you would not have realized nor cared, as young as you would have been. However, it is common knowledge that most people descended from the old Galvus patriarch have white or gold hair, or somewhere in between. The most notable exception is Emperor Solus, but even he had a streak of white.”

The device beeped a series of three harsh dissonant notes before printing out a statement.

Aulus moved around his desk and read the printout.

“The sample was from Cassisus, correct? It would have been better to get something from Cyprian, but alas.”

“Inconclusive?”

“Not at all. The results show a blood relation. Once you take into account the generational gap, the percentage match between their two samples is compellingly accurate. If we had a sample from the father, we would have been able to say for sure that she is Cyprian’s, and not some bastard of a bastard, but undoubtedly she is related to Cassisus.”

“That is all that matters.”

“Congratulations are in order then? Restoring a lost noble house is no small feat.”

“Hmm, I suppose so. Have the results sent back to the imperial palace with a message to update the royal records and make ready to transition her assets.”

“What need have you of a noble that you cannot obtain by your own might?” ask asked curiously.

He left without answering.


	41. Chapter 41

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3/3 for release 2/2

Turning the handle of an unimpressive blade in her hands, Autumn sat in the command chair surrounded by a semi-circular digital dashboard. Getting into the system was easier than the building itself.

With the back of the chair facing the screens, her ankles neatly crossed before her, and her other hand gripping the plush arm cushions, her tail tapped languidly behind her waiting for Zenos. For that, even, she was keeping time.

“For such a small castrum, word sure travels slowly.” She welcomed him to her newest sanctuary.

He ignores her comment in favor of surveying the room, eyes landing on the report pulled up. “What have you found?”

“Really a dreary place. Not that I should extend my services in telling you how to do your jobs but, really, you would save so much money by doing a proper audit. What purpose does a sad little base like this serve – the only thing of minor import being a shipping log or two? So many building projects, yet so much wasted potential for the buildings you already have. It is a disrespect to the architects; their buildings were not utilized to their fullest.”

“You didn’t kill anyone.” He ignored her in favor of a more interesting topic.

“Perhaps the greatest disrespect of all don’t you think?” she tilted her head with a lopsided grin. “Dropping your name goes far around here – everyone too afraid of you to even consider someone bold enough to risk your ire and use it to their advantage. They have good reason to be afraid too. Whether I killed anyone or not, blood was going to be spilled. Why should I put in the work when you seem eager to do it?”

Zenos huffed, amused with her assessment. “I am not in the mood for killing disappointing creatures. I’ll have the guard unit assigned to this building transferred to a labor camp.” He dismissed her suggestion with a lazy wave of his hand.

“My, aren’t you in a good mood.” The warrior stood, dropping the cheap, standard issue sword with a harsh, bouncy clang against the metal floors. Quietly, she was relieved these soldiers were spared Zenos’ murderous whims. She had a hard time justifying killing anyone when it was he who asked her to stir up trouble.


	42. Chapter 42

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 1/3 for 2/9
> 
> NSFW ahead. I will segment it off so you can read around it if it is your preference. Summary to be included in the bottom notes.

Doma castle was impressive, although left in a rotting state through its blatant mismanagement and neglect. Autumn’s face soured at the amount of work Yotsuyu left behind.

“You should have gotten rid of Yotsuyu earlier,” she grumbled, inspecting the peeling paint and chipped gold leaf on the murals.

“Her ineptitude served a purpose all the same. I never expected to… need to fix her mess. I am not in the habit of shitting where I sleep.”

They walked in comfortable silence to the throne room. Zenos threw open the door, Autumn resuming her place at his side and they cut through another gaping crowd. He sat on the throne, his rightful throne. Autumn stood at the bottom of the dais, unsure of her place.

He waved her forward, “Come, my dear. You will share with me.”

She foisted herself quite shamelessly on his lap and leaned against his chest. She soaked up all of the bug-eyed glances around the room like a point of pride.

“Who is the highest in command here?” The prince commanded their attention.

Grynewaht stepped forward, “I am Yotsuyu’s right hand, My Lord,” he kneeled before them.

“Yotsuyu is dead,” he said matter-of-factly. He watched with glee the expressions on the man’s face change – what did it mean for his fate. “I will resume my role officially as acting Viceroy for Doma. The woman on my lap,” He placed his heavy armored hand on her shoulder, “is an extension of myself – you should treat her as you would a member of the royal family. She, unofficially, will begin to manage most of the day to day operations. And you, dog,” he looked to Grynewaht, “will get yet another new master.”

“Zenos what!” she hissed.

“Hmm? You don’t like him? You can kill him if you want.” He replied flippantly.

The soldier gulped, shaking on his knees.

Autumn stood – she was pissed. “Get out of my sight.” Her soft-spoken words were far more terrifying than true anger. “I will deal with you privately after this. Wait in my chambers.”

“You only just arrived, where might your chambers-”

Autumn stared him down with a piercing glare, “figure. it. out.”

“Yes, my Lady!” he squealed and scurried out of the throne room.

“A royal missive will be sent to the capital in a few days’ time to discuss some changes I’ve made.” Zenos looked to the captains glaringly, “Until there is an official announcement of my actions you and your subordinates will keep your mouths shut. If either of us hear any gossip related to the change in leadership, we will handle the loose tongues accordingly. Understood?”

The room saluted.

“Would you like to dismiss them?” Zenos had stood and hunched over her ear.

She nodded, “You are dismissed. Clear the room quickly.”

Once the last unfortunate soul had left the room, Zenos flipped up his mask and kissed her ferociously, hands grasping at her hips.

She pushed him back. “I left with you because I wanted the freedom to make my own decisions. How dare you foist leadership upon me without my consent.”

He frowned, “You think I enjoy it? This is my job, we are coupled, you must share these burdens as is the duty of royalty.”

“Would that be so easy except that I know you have a history of running nations into the ground.”

“That was the intention. If I truly wanted a country to prosper, I have had all the formal training as befits a prince to do just that.”

“And which will it be in this case?”

“Shall we make it interesting?” He charmed her with mischief.

She hesitated, anger abating, “Interesting?”

“If you can quell their rebellious spirit, I will see no need to personally intervene, and thus we can turn our attention to matters of proper governance.”

“And if I fail?”

“Then I will simply do what I am best at.” His smile reached his eyes. They gleamed eagerly at the prospect of bloodletting desperate fools.

“Hmm,” she tapped her chin. “It is a modest proposal, though the workload seems heavily skewed in my direction.”

“At the onset,” he agreed, “but if you succeed, I promise to redress the balance.”

“Very well.”

He placed his lips to her shoulder.

She rooted her grip firmly in his hair and forced him to look at her, “This was a more appropriate way to resolve the matter of duties, by conversing. Do not presume you can order me to do anything. I left that life behind. I will not persist to suffer it further.”

He gripped her thighs tightly and pulled her closer. His armored hands clamped around her flesh like a vice. With closed eyes, the tender flesh of his throat unnaturally bared, he sighed contentedly, “Oh, how I love you.”

Autumn released the grip on his scalp, and he gave her a sultry look, applying more pressure to her legs.

She hissed. “Your armor is cutting into my skin. Why don’t you change?”

“Come with me, My Lady,” he teased.

Zenos let his armor fall to the floor once they reached his chambers. Autumn rummaged through his drawers looking for something suitable.

“Zie, is this good?” She looked up, a few garments draped over her arm. He made quick work of it, now only standing in his underclothes. She blushed.

She was frozen in place as he approached her, taking the clothes from her hands. “These will suffice.” He swept her hair over her shoulder and cupped her head for a demanding kiss.

She unfastened her cloak and let it fall to the floor.

“You’ve taken to not wearing armor.” He noted. The prince started to dress, but she stayed his hand.

“It makes the battles livelier. A reckless teacher once told me so.”

“He sounds very thoughtful to me – you appreciate your mistakes that much more.” He kissed her jaw and her neck, she pulled him towards the bed.

“Wise words, indeed.” She ran her hands over his chest.

“Have you need of my body?” he asked once seated on the bed due to her influence.

She nodded, and Zenos brought his hands to knead her breasts in response. She gasped into his mouth. He loved the sounds he could elicit from her. They fascinated him.

They worked their way lower to rest on her hips, fingers teasing at the waistline. “Tell me, my little dragon,” he dipped his hands down, testing her, “When did you know that you wanted this? You’re acting so starved for my touch, very easy to please.”

She wriggled under his grasp. “Mmmm,” she whined into his neck. “The cave, after our bout of hand-to-hand combat.”

“So, you like being pinned down?” He teased her, pressing kisses along her neck.

“Maybe I like a guy that can handle me,” she arched into his touch.

“Neigh impossible standards,” he agreed.

“…When did you think about it?”

“The first day we met I watched you carve up that A-rank bird like a rotisserie chicken. I knew then you were no normal woman.”

((Skip to next horizontal line to continue...))

* * *

“You’re ridiculous,” she mumbled into him, as he tossed her pants aside.

Zenos dipped his fingers into her wetness and she mewled. “In hindsight, I knew then, but I didn’t accept that until later, not until after I caught myself anticipating our fights.”

He continued, “Anyway, I like how things have turned out.” He pulled out and slowly pushed two fingers into her at an agonizing pace.

“Ah, fuck,” she swore. “Don’t tease me.”

“So greedy for my cock,” he absolutely had to tease her, though he did not stop her from unbuttoning his pants and pushing down his waistband with haste. He pushed a third finger into her and occupied her mouth with his tongue – a much better sound than her protests.

Autumn had her fill of sexual frustration and teasing. She pushed her hips up to unseat herself from his fingers and pushed him to his side. She crawled on top of him and blushed at his amused expression.

She picked up his length with her hand and licked it experimentally, suckling on the tip waiting for him to break his unflinchingly smug look. She focused on the head and smirked, lips drawn taught around him, when she felt his hips tilt up involuntarily.

Finally, she positioned herself and lowered her tight hole over his massive erection and sheathed herself on it in one downward stroke. Zenos fluttered his eyes quietly in response to the pleasure. She set a brutally slow pace to tease him as she pleasured herself on his cock. He would get a show, but no more.

“Don’t wait on my account,” he said coolly. “If you are trying to tease me, girl – arouse me - then you best put a blade to my throat and put up a damn good fight.”

“I’ll bring one next time,” she panted, thighs quivering from maintaining a steady, agonizing pace. She would not outlast him even with her best of intentions.

With a smile he closed his eyes softly, relaxing against the pillows. He dreamt of their past encounters, a blend of fights, rolling around in the ground kicking, punching headbutting. She pulls a blade out of nowhere and plunges it into his arm without remorse. He seeks for the resolute gleam in her eyes, the way she tracks the thin streams of crimson running down his arm.

He swallows a sigh, the stimulation she provided morphing from a distraction to an amplifier. The memories of pain turning into a searing heat that forces him closer to climax.

Waiting for that moment, a moment he knew well – a dull throbbing warmth – a feeling he could work with, he opened his eyes and flipped her over quickly, without warning. He dug his fingers into her hips and yanked her to her knees, slamming his cock back inside of her slick folds with little delay. He would chase his orgasm, each snap of his hips akin to a thrust of her blade coming dangerously close to his heart. That was the thrill! Only she could give it to him. Zenos grabbed the base of her tail and slammed into her one final time, brows furrowed deep in thought clinging to the fantasy while his brain swam with the befuddling sensation of an orgasm. His senses returning to him, the prince heard his lover whining into the sheets and felt the way she tightened around his spent half-hard length. He pressed on, with a few more long, languid strokes, fucking her through her orgasm as he claimed what was his.

Zenos pulled out and trailed a hand up her back, fingers playing over the rough textures of the pattern-less scale clusters to be found here and there.

Autumn, with her ass still in the air, “What should I do?”

“Let the spend soil the sheets. Others will take care of it later.”

She pushed forward on her arms to lay on her stomach before rolling to her back. He followed, moving with her movement to catch her lips when she looked up towards him. Content to lay there with their legs tangled and covered in their fluids, Zenos relished the way she softly molded against him. It felt nicer than usual. Her lips were softer, plumper. They way her body arched towards him was more pleasing, the reverence of her spirit for his own was somehow stronger. 

* * *

No one loved him as purely and transparently as she did, her emotions raw and on display after moments of passion.

He pecked her nose with his lips, a tender gesture.

The warrior smiled for him, “As much as I would love to keep lying here, let’s clean up, shall we? Maybe a fresh change of sheets. Not to inflate your ego more than it already is, but you’ve left quite the mess.”

He laughed, a rare soft smile of his own in response, “There are excellent bathing pools in the basement. We can retire to your room for the night – let the maids deal with this.”

“The whole castle will be talking tomorrow.” She put her hands to her face. “Do you think they hate me already? Some mysterious whore who seduced the prince in order to rule Doma?”

“Whore? My little dragon, you are far from that.” He nibbled her fingers, “Remember what I said about you in the throne room? They may not know who you are exactly, but they know you are important, and that you are mine. If they value their lives, they will keep their opinions to themselves.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Summary of NSFW section: Autumn tries to tease Zenos by setting a slow pace and not really giving him what she think he wants. Zenos tells her not to bother, and once she begins to act selfishly he closes his eyes and constructs a fantasy where she is stabbing him repeatedly with her sword, drawing from old memories from when he was stabbed to remember the pain he felt. This gets him off. Her actions were a distraction turned amplifier once he found the right headspace.


	43. Chapter 43

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2/3 for 3/9
> 
> My sweet, murderous boy is just so gone for her.

“Oh,” Autumn said softly when she pushed open the door to her quarters. “You’re still here, good.” She was thankful to be wearing her hood. A half-naked Prince Zenos with damp hair followed in behind her and she almost felt bad as she watched the terror levels rise in his expression.

He dropped to the floor, “Your Highness.”

Once the door was shut, she pulled down her hood, watching carefully for Grynewaht’s reaction.

It was immediate. His face twisted into something akin to rage. Zenos wrapped a possessive arm around her from behind.

“You-” he stuttered.

“Yes, me. We can’t seem to escape each other.” She smirked as he cowered on the ground. There was something immensely satisfying watching that bumbling meathead before her, all of their encounters prior full of misplaced overconfidence and bravado and jaw-dropping cowardice in equal measure. She hated people who clearly overestimated their abilities – well she hated those that could not learn from their mistake the first time.

“Fortunately for you, I am much nicer than your former master. Unfortunately for you, I have had the… pleasure of seeing your cowardice on the battlefield firsthand,” he winced, “on multiple occasions,” she added. “I don’t like you. I don’t like cowards.”

His eyes flicked to the crown prince, “Please My Lady I was only following orders.”

“You bring up a good point, a dog is only as good as its master and Yotsuyu…” she hummed to herself. “What to do with you… You are the only one in the castle who knows who I am. I could have you killed for that. It would be easier to tie up loose ends. But, perhaps you can be of some use to me. There is a chance of a raid to rescue the Warrior of Light soon enough, you will be my guard dog. After that, we shall see about your fate.”

“Thank you, My Lady,” he groveled on the floor.

“Now leave, you’re interrupting us.” She turned to Zenos who was just watching with passive amusement.

Once the door was shut, “Are you sure you don’t take pride in your Garlean heritage? You’re very good at this.”

“No, the circumstances of my birth were scandalous. I was not exactly…. wanted. I loathe my father for what he did.”

“And who would that be?” He nibbled at her ear.

She huffed, “A soldier stationed at the embassy in Kugane raped an Auri woman and left her for dead – that woman was my mother. Since it happened in the embassy, there was no justice. The Sekiseigumi stayed out of it.”

“And you took his name?”

She faltered slightly, “I did. After my mother died… eventually I needed it. If I hid my mongrel features I passed as a Garlean and from there things started looking up in my life. I may not have been a pureblood, but I was a daughter of Garlemald which was miles better than being among the Aan in Nagxia. I hated him. I did. My mother is probably writhing in her grave for taking his name, but perhaps I also did it to spite him. If anyone knew who he was, I wanted them to see just how far he had fallen, to see what a piece of scum he was that he couldn’t even be bothered with his own daughter.”

He swirled his thumbs against her hips. “The Lulius family was once well known in Ilsabard, too well known for a commoner’s middle name.”

She pulled away from him sharply, “Well known? Do you know my father somehow?” Her eyes shimmered with rage.

“Yes and no,” he stroked her hair, “It is not unlikely that I have crossed paths with him in my youth, but he has been dead for years. His father passed not long after and that left House Lulius an empty shell with no heir to inherit the estate.”

She looked at him suspiciously, “This isn’t… you’re not trying to tell me that I’m actually some kind of noble are you?”

His eyes crinkled mirthfully, “It doesn’t really matter-”

She laughed, clutching her side and burying her face forward into the sheets, trembling. “I’m sorry,” she breathed, “Hahahaha, it’s just…” she picked herself up, “the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. I swear my life can’t possibly be real. To be the warrior of light, a champion of Eorzea, savior of the Dragonsong War, a… a noble Lady of Garlemald, what other titles could I possibly bear?”

“Princess,” he said plainly, taking her moment of sarcasm seriously.

“I-” she faltered, her heart suddenly beating wildly at the utterance of that single word. Her brain swam with possible implications, all of which terrified her.

“I don’t understand. I am a princess, or you want-” the words died on her tongue.

“Yes…” he paused looking at her earnestly, “and yes.” He cupped the side of her face and brought her close tucking her into the side of his body. “Become my betrothed.”

Autumn had to remember how to breathe for a precious few seconds. “Zie,” she freed herself of his hold, “You offered me a chance to escape, but now I am effectively acting Viceroy and… and…? This wasn’t what I…”

He hushed her nervous rambling.

“Would you like me to tell you it is because I am in love with you, or would you prefer so rational explanation for my hasty request.”

She let out a short, clipped laugh, “Can it not be both?”

“There are many things at work.” He sighs. “All to secure you a place by my side so that we may do as we please. Garlemald’s court, the Eorzeans who will want your head ere long,” he counted off her enemies on both sides, “while we have the strength to fend off attacks without cause for concern, I am loathe to waste my energies doing so. Being proactive, protecting you politically is the best course of action.” He picked up her hand and wrapped his other hand in her hair. “more importantly,” he pressed her palm to his lips, “You’ve ruined me for another. I once thought I could be content with some nameless woman forcibly joined with me, left to collect dust in some corner. I had no hope for a person, anyone who could dare to rival me. Now that I’ve found you, I cannot – I will not return to that bleaker existence.”

She froze, incredibly uncertain.

“You may refuse, but it lessens my ability to protect you. You can simply be a part of my entourage and leave it at that, but you will have a barely functioning noble house and no power. It may cause the Eorzeans to think twice before attacking you, but it will certainly put a bigger target on your back in Garlemald.”

He was right about one thing. The moment she fled with him, her reputation was forfeit and she no longer had the sway her deeds brought her.

“You’re a prince – the crown prince – I can’t…! This is insane.” She shook her head. “Absolutely insane. No one would accept that.” She was an enemy... a traitor even if she masqueraded as a chivalrous sacrifice.

“Father already knows about this he is… open-minded.” Zenos skirted the whole truth of the matter.

Autumn knew she had the most bewildered look on her face. “Why would Emperor Varis ever agree to this, and what about this is advantageous to you? Pray tell me.”

“Father wants to see me tied down, and he would only sanction your nobility contingent upon neutralizing the threat that your name poses to house Galvus. To kill two birds with one stone, he saw the merit in that.”

“And you? I know you care naught for Varis’ wishes.”

He sighed, “With each passing year my father becomes more aggressive about this. There is a certain inevitability to that duty, and I am not one to let an opportunity pass me by. If I am to be bred like a prized horse, I will not sit idly and allow my spawn to be tainted by someone undoubtedly frail, weak, unworthy.”

It was so much all at once, Autumn’s head swam. “I am not some tool to be bred.” She growled out her first thought. She could not even begin to think about the ridiculous implication of birthing heirs. Never giving much thought to a family, the warrior fully assumed she would either be dead before she ever found the chance, or far too old once she finally left the life of a scion behind.

“I share your disdain for the prospect – the time lost, the sunken costs, the vulnerability. I will not belabor the point further, but do consider that if you, _my lover,_ ” he stressed, “do not step-up and occupy this position, someone else will try to step into our dance, again and again and again.”

Was it too soon for her to know if they would ever work as proper partners? Goodness knows as fun as he was to be with, there were some serious issues with the man. However, after inviting the monster into her bed, even if she were to decline, no sane man would try to approach her ever again – she, too, was permanently tainted by the crown prince. She didn’t think Zenos would want to share her even if they remained as they were.

Either way she was stuck with him. She would be irresponsible not to claim that all of this was of her own doing.

“No more surprises.” She said quietly. “Hiding things from me only leads me to believe you are always hiding things from me. I told you we need to talk about things before decisions are made – which you technically did, and I thank you. But my choice, was hardly a choice. I would be a fool not to take your offer.”

“And will you play the fool?”

“It depends. What more are you hiding from me?” She was deadly serious.

The thought of what he should tell her immediately sprang to mind.

“Zenos…” she sniffed out the impending lie, taking a tone with him like he was a misbehaving child.

“The reason I gave you reign over Doma…” he started, “was a calculated decision. You need to prove your worth in matters of governance. Father tentatively agreed to the match, but he may yet disapprove if he finds you unsuitable.”

She sighed. “You really backed yourself into a corner. How unlike you,” she said with a wry twist of her lips. “You seem very confident I will agree to this madness.”

“If not you,” he took up both of her shoulders, “then no one else.”


	44. Chapter 44

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3/3 for 2/9
> 
> Based on the naming conventions of Garlemald, it is unclear whether the partner of the Crown Prince would get the title of “yae” or “wir”. I settled on “yae” in the soup I call my brain for various reasons. I will spare you the details.

“By the twelve!” Alphinaud nearly dropped the paper onto the damp floor of the House of the Fierce. “Yugiri! Lyse! Alisaie!”

“Brother, what’s wrong. You look like you have become a ghost.”

In his best effort to compose himself, he cleared his throat and began again with a warble to his voice.

“A Royal missive from castle Doma was recently intercepted. ‘Upon the death of Yotsuyu goe Brutus, appointed governor of Doma, their royal highnesses Crown Prince Zenos yae Galvus and his wife Princess Autumn yae Galvus formerly of house Lulius will take up the mantle as acting Viceroys of-‘“

“Autumn!?” Alisaie replied sharply, “Pray tell me that is a coincidence.”

“I fear it is not, dear sister,” he looked distraught; “The rest all but confirms it. -They will take up the mantle of acting Viceroys of Doma. As a wedding gift for her royal highness, the Garlean Empire cedes the following territories to the Ala Mhigan resistance under the condition of permanent surrender of the remaining unlisted territories in Gyr Abania.”

“There is more,” he lowered the paper, “but that covers the most important bits.”

“Alphinaud, let me see that – I need to know.” Lyse took the paper from his hands and scanned the document. “He is giving up everything but the Lochs.” She sagged, “that’s – that is our capital he is holding hostage! How could he keep that? Does he expect us to be happy with this?” She read on. “We will never agree to these terms!”

“If you don’t the war will proceed apace,” Alphinaud warned. “While I do not envy your people’s choice in this proposition, you stand to gain far more by taking the safer route.”

“By abandoning our capital! Our castle!? Our History!?”

“You dare risk being ground under heel for history - for the dead - when there are those you can yet save!?” While Alphinaud’s words had merit, his scathing remarks only fanned Lyse fury.

Lyse exhaled sharply through her nose. “No – I just,” she shook her head, “it is too much to think about now. There are many talks to be had before a decision is made. You may think this is an obvious solution as an outsider, but-”

“No, forgive me of making light of your history,” Alphinaud deflated. There was no good to come from bickering.

“Just what in the world was she thinking… Certainly, she is worth more than that?” Alisaie simmer quietly in the background, too distracted by her own thoughts.

“Alisaie is right.” Her brother perked up at her barest suggestion of a deeper plot, “There is clearly something else going on. Knowing as little as we do about the country, I am of a mind to consult our resident Garleans until more news trickles through.”

Alisaie nodded vehemently.

Placing his finger to his ear, Alphinaud rang his linkpearl. A crackle of static came through the other end before a chipper voice cut through the white noise, “Alphinaud, good timing! I’ve just sent over schematics for the barrier around castle Doma, they-”

“Cid, there is something urgent I need your insight on.”

A brief silence. “Is there more to learn about the gates?”

“What? No. This is not an engineering matter I’m afraid…” Alphinaud explained what had happened two days prior.

“-Wait-wait-wait.” He groused. “Nero!” The twins heard muffled shouting on the other end of the line. “Get in here!”

“Garlond…problem…” Nero’s smooth, cocky laugh trickled through the line.

“…Gods can’t you move any faster, it’s urgent!”

“Sorry Alphinaud. If it is about business with the imperials, I’m afraid I’m not the best person to ask.” and then read the content of the missive again.

“It’s alright,” he nodded, though the man could not see.

“What’s going on?”

Cid beat Alphinaud to the explanation, “The Warrior of Light has been missing for two days after a failed attack on Zenos.”

“I served under Gaius, not Zenos. I wouldn’t know the first place to start-”

“Stop!” Alphinaud cut him off, “Just… let me finish. Believe it or not Zenos told us where she is.” He read the contents of the missive.

“I see,” Nero calmly spoke up first through the crackle of the linkpearl, “Members of the Garlean Royal family don’t have public betrothals. They will use married terms immediately for the safety of both parties – there was a bit of an issue with some of Emperor Solus’ intendeds turning up dead before the wedding date… Aaanyway, while I have no doubts the warrior is in far less danger from would-be assassins than her… intended, customs are customs and Varis is a stickler for regulation. Even though the missive addressed her as Zenos’ wife, there is a high chance she is not actually married off to that monster if the engagement was set recently.”

“Are you suggesting that Emperor Varis sanctioned this, and it is not Lord Zenos simply inciting chaos as he is wont to do?” Alphinaud countered, “I find it hard to believe the Emperor would approve of the match.”

“That is information I am not privy to. But, this ploy is more in line with Varis' style of dealing with problems.” Nero admitted quietly. “He has always been interested in the Eikons, and in quelling the rebellions in his territories. Perhaps he saw her as a useful tool to take care of both? …Assuming that Zenos does not outright kill her.” He proposed with heavy uncertainty. "She should be safe because of that other matter though..."

"What other matter?" Alphinaud asked with increasing bewilderment.

Cid hesitated, “I feel guilty.”

“Guilty? Pray tell, why?” Alphinaud was genuinely confused. What could they possibly know about the Warrior of Light that the Scions did not.

“I never asked her about it because I understand just how painful past history with the Empire can be, and how dangerous it can be to talk too much about it, but I recognized her last name.”

Nero piped in, “Lulius, yes. I thought it might be a coincidence, but it wasn’t my place to pry.”

“I assumed she knew.” Cid agreed.

“Knew what!?” Alphinaud asked again, shrill voice rising above the noise to try to wring an answer from their cryptic musing.

“Her last name belongs to a noble house… House Lulius’ royal standing is descended from House Galvus. Prior to its demise, they stood well allied with Emperor Solus as the only relatives of the man aside from his own progeny. She is by all rights a princess.” Nero recounted the history with ease.

“I’m sorry. Do you mean to say she was Garlean royalty before this untimely betrothal?” Alphinaud was stunned.

“If she her last time truly indicates her parentage, then yes.”

Alphinaud sighed, “Cid you are by no means at fault because you held your silence over a sensitive matter. There is currently no way to know if she even knew. From what I know of her life in Othard, it was anything but luxurious.”

The Garlean engineers were silent on the other end of the line.

“We will keep you appraised of updates…thanks you two.”

"Wait!" Cid cut in at the last moment, "Don’t do anything rash. Zenos is a monster and will cut you down without even blinking. If she is chained to his side, freeing her will be a near impossible task. Be careful.” he urged.

Everyone on the other end of the line nodded gravely, before Alphinaud clipped out a short thanks and ceased communications. There was naught more to be learned, only fruitless conjecture.

“She has been acting strangely since the slaughter at Rhalgr’s Reach. Something must have happened that we don’t know about. Perhaps someone told her about her nobility and somehow managed to turn her against us.” Alphinaud mused shaking his head, “it’s hard for me to believe without all the facts.”

“This is a delicate matter. I’m going to trust our resident Garleans on this one.” He regained his composure, “We can’t raid Doma castle if Zenos is there. We don’t stand a chance, especially without the Warrior of Light. If we are going to get into the palace, it must be diplomatically.”

“You cannot mean to meet with that thing in person!?” Lyse protested.

He looked resolute, “If Autumn is truly in danger, time is of the essence. We may not be able to best Zenos now, but if we stand any chance of regaining her, we need more information. This missive makes me think he even wants us to come.”

“Then it’s a trap!”

“It may very well be.”


	45. Chapter 45

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 1/3 for 2/16

“What do you think?”

Autumn turned in the mirror. “It looks menacing,” she settled on. “Not really my style, but you insist on matching, don’t you?” It was more of a fact than a question. She looked over the details of her new armor set – that Zenos had to match his. It was endearing, his odd ways of showing possessiveness.

The pearlized, deep purple plating, the shimmering black carbon weave, the armor was a smaller, feminized version of the prince’s own.

“You are the picture of fear, my dragon.”

She was. The helmet she thought was even more garish. An eagle with swept back wings sat atop the helmet, horns framed its striking figure curling back like a great wyrm’s might. A blood red cape trimmed in gold sat off to the side, another thing the royal family seemed fond of. She picked it up and draped it over her shoulders, it reminded her more of Varis.

“It’s fine, but I’d like to request something less… menacing.” She picked up the helmet and brushed her fingers over the bone white faceplate. “Since I’m in charge of Doma now apparently, I have plans. I have no designs to see blood run in the streets.”

“Oh? What kind of attire?”

“Lots of white and pastels, make it very angelic looking. We’re creating a story – I will be the angel who tames the mighty devil prince for the people of Doma.”

“I think it will be fun for you to play the angel.” He wrapped his large frame around hers, “I can just imagine you luring them in with your gentleness and patience, only to find themselves trapped in the maws of a monster.” He kissed her cheek. “I await my chance to witness those whom mistake your kindness for weakness.”

“And, while surely the tailor can provide whatever you ask, you will need something to wear today.”

“Why?”

“The Scions received news of our coupling. They’ve come to congratulate us.”

“Now?!”

“No, later today. They sent a formal request too.” He procured a letter and waved it between his first two fingers, a lazy smirk on his face.

“Ever the diplomats,” she sighed plucking the letter from his grasp to gloss it over. “Assuming you even bothered to mention this, it could only mean you approved their request.” She sternly placed her hands on her hips, “Unless they attack you, you aren’t allowed to kill them.”

“As my wife says.”

“Wife?!”

“Autumn yae Galvus read the missive, won’t you?” His eyes glittered with unconcealed amusement. “I expected a proud daughter of Garlemald to know our customs.”

“I lived most of my life just barely above that of a slave in one occupied territory or another. Why would I know or care anything for royal customs?” she groaned. “You are enjoying yourself aren’t you?”

“Immensely. You make the best expressions.” He traced his finger down the bridge of her nose, “I’m sure they strongly suspect we are not actually married because they are… more familiar with the timeline of everything. If you do not wish them dead for whatever reason, I will do my best not to make this a difficult task. But do know things are done this way for a reason. I shall warn you it is in your best interest - and yours alone - to obfuscate our marital status. I have always enjoyed… getting to know the surprise visitors who wish to cross blades with me.”

“I am honored you think of me above mere bait,” Autumn bowed lazily in her sarcastic mood.

“The best way to play this would be… ” she talked aloud, pacing around in her new armor, “I don’t want to lose access to Eorzean hunting grounds – that’s my top priority. The number of primals summoned is stupid for me to give that up. They need to know that I will come personally to hunt the primals, and that you permit that. I need them to believe that I’m still on their side.”

“Are you?” he asked curiously.

“I’d like to be. I’ll toe the line as long as I can because I’m greedy.”

She continued to think aloud, “The obvious move would be to play on their pity. But… A part of me just wants to rub it in their faces – how miserable I was, how much happier I am now. What if we make them feel guilty for driving me to the enemy? The best arguments are rooted in truth after all.”

“I don’t really care how you clean up your affairs. You could always strong arm them into maintaining relations with you just to save face with that gaggle of squabbling nations they report to. No matter what you do, you will not fail here.”

“Now that’s just reckless.”

“I thought you liked reckless.”

She puffed out a breath of hot air, amused. “Well I’m not going to wear this…” she bit her lip, “It sends the wrong message. I want them to see that I am still me. I will wear something they are familiar with.”

Zenos pouted. Autumn took a half-step back in surprise. “You will wear it in the future, yes?”

“Yes,” she smiled playfully, “husband.”


	46. Chapter 46

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2/3 for 2/16

Grynewaht stood at the entrance of the castle. It was everything in his power to stuff his fuming emotions down at the sight of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. She was still an unknown, but he didn’t want to risk his head pissing off now very important guests. He suspected this was punishment.

The Scions were equally surprised to see him. He instinctively went for a hand hold on his weapon but recalled anxiously that he was disarmed.

“You again!?” Alphinaud was taken aback with abject surprise.

“Greetings Scions of the Seventh Dawn,” He moderated his voice to a gritty, irritated cadence. “I will be your escort inside. As a show of faith, you are permitted to keep your weapons about you.”

“How generous,” Alisaie chirped.

He turned and waddled in, not sparing another glace for his charges. He was a great warrior, not some errand boy to serve at the mercy of vindictive women.

Arriving at the throne room, he straightened his posture and pushed open the door, graciously holding it open for the two scions and the shinobi warrior to file in. 

Alphinaud, the first one inside, saw Autumn and Zenos standing side by side behind a large round table with various table settings laid out. The Warrior of Light was dressed in what he recognized as her preferred pugilist’s outfit of late. Zenos – he had never seen the man out of his armor – wore a light blue tunic and simple black pants, his hair drawn up into a ponytail that made his features look much less severe, dare he say handsome. Cautiously stepping inside, he felt increasingly out of his depth.

“Autumn!” he heard his sister shriek quietly behind him at the sight of their companion.

Yugiri had her eyes trained on Zenos with deadly intent. She could not hide her hatred.

Autumn stepped forward, “I’m surprised, but happy I may see you all on… peaceful terms.”

“Autumn, I’ll be frank,” Alphinaud tried to hide his nerves with clipped sentences, “While I am happy to see you in good health, I find myself immensely confused by this situation. What is this about?”

“Let us sit. I’ve prepared some tea and snacks.” Zenos quietly pulled out Autumn’s chair before taking his own place. Autumn’s eyes begged her three guests to sit down as well.

Alisaie was the first to comply. Taking her seat slowly without ever breaking her gaze, she was like the prey in a standoff with the predator, careful not to make sudden movements.

Alphinaud soon followed.

“Yugiri,” Autumn beckoned her gently, “I know you have no love for Zenos, but if I’ve earned any small amount of trust working alongside you, I would appreciate if you would join us.”

Finally, she sat, crossing her legs impatiently. Her tail swished behind her with an anxious rhythm.

Autumn poured herself some tea and took a sip. “I’m sure you have many questions,” she started.

Alphinaud cut her off, “That doesn’t even begin to describe the half of it. Autumn, pray tell us what is going on.”

“I was told you were diplomats,” Zenos stared pointedly at Alphinaud, “yet here you are insulting a princess in her own home.” He drummed his fingers against the arm of his chair mirthfully watching the boy’s face purple.

“Forgive me, your highnesses,” he stood and performed the briefest suggestion of a bow, clearly unhappy with the situation. “Please continue appraising us of the situation. I will not interrupt again.”

“Everything in the announcement is true. I agreed to this marriage in exchange for the territory in Gyr Abania, free border travel for those of Non-Garlean descent for the rest of the year, a generous donation to rebuild Rhalgr’s Reach, and organized, sponsored caravans, to help move Ala Mhigans that wish to leave the Lochs.”

“Yes, I understand that. I read the letter. But why? Why did you feel the need to do this alone? And we talked to Cid, it’s my understanding that you two aren’t married yet, so if you want to escape this- we will support you. The Reach may have fallen, but the war was far from lost.”

“You are bold to speak of such things in front of me.” Zenos growled.

Autumn put a hand on his arm and sighed, “We _are_ married,” she lied, stressing the verb to contradict him, “-and I am content with my decision. Any attempt you make to ‘rescue’ me will be met with firm resistance on my part.”

“Why!” Alphinaud cried, “Why did you bind yourself to that monster?! How did this happen?”

Zenos watched the young elf with a bored expression. He played with his and Autumn’s joined hands above the table.

“As hard as it may be for you to believe, we understand each other. He understands me far better than anyone else ever could. He will treat me well because I am worthy of staying by his side, as I have acknowledged he is worthy staying by mine.”

“By the twelve! Is that _him_?” Alisaie started, “You’re in love with him aren’t you!?” she was dumbstruck.

“Him?” the male twin wasn’t following.

“But you were seeing him before everything at Rhalgr’s Re-” Alisaie clapped a hand over her mouth and turned to judge her brother’s expression.

“That’s him!?” Alphinaud swiveled to look at the prince. “You’ve been seeing this monster since we were in Gyr Abania!?” He hissed in quiet shock. “Alisaie, you knew about this?”

“I knew she was seeing someone, but I was unaware as to who specifically!” She defended. “Never would I have believed it to be Lord Zenos. If she has been meeting with him behind our backs for at least that long, it is definitely possible that they are wed.” She mused aloud.

“So that’s it then?” Alphinaud turned to look back at his former companion, “You’ve committed treason against Eorzea, all of the causes you’ve fearlessly championed for some whirlwind romance with the prince of Garlemald?” He kept his voice to a simmer.

“Just because I am happy doesn’t mean that my actions are treason. You wouldn’t have suggested that if I was miserable and suffering for the good of Eorzea. In fact, my actions have greatly benefitted the security of the Alliance, and I will continue to keep her interests at heart. You should consider the prolonged security my position now affords for the Alliance if you consider this a… political marriage.”

Alphinaud was thoughtful, “I don’t like this – it was reckless and selfish, and by the gods, I wish you had told us something! Anything! Alisaie was in tears when she learned what happened to you!”

“Alisaie,” Autumn’s voice was tender.

“Weren’t we your friends?” She whispered, “Why couldn’t you have confided in us.”

“I’m sorry,” she put her head down. “I haven’t considered you friends – true friends for a long time. We are all Scions, and I trust each of you in my capacity as Warrior of Light. But beyond that title what have you bothered to learn of me, my past? A dirty history with Garlemald better swept under the rug. You don’t even know my real name!”

Alphinaud looked bewildered, “Your name? It is not Autumn?”

“Officially, now it is. Once I was able to,” she grimaced, “earn my citizenship. But it is not my birth name. Why would my mother give me a Garlean name? She hated the man who put me in her belly.”

A spark of recognition in Zenos’ eyes. “Amber.” He supplied.

She turned to look at him sharply. “Correct.”

“But how would we have known to even ask that?” the young Elezen floundered.

“Excuses!” She curtailed her rising voice. “Zenos knew. He knew because he – the prince who cares for nothing but violence – cared enough to pay a little attention to me. If you had shown even an onze of interest in me,” she brought her hand to her chest, “… as a person. I would have told you all kinds of interesting things about my past.”

She sighed, “No matter, you used me for my power, and I was fine with it… for a time. But things began to change after the massacre at Baelsar’s Wall. The Scions changed and I wasn’t in agreement with your views.” She quieted, “No matter what I did I felt this gaping aloneness because… Who could I talk to about my struggles and my interests? -set so far apart from the rest. I just- I’m meant to fight monsters, not people.” She shook her head, “I’m not this champion of the weak, not some selfless hero. I was tired, bored, and unhappy. Zenos helped me see that.”

“Did we push you too hard? Was that it?”

“Aye, it’s true I wasn’t given much of a choice these days. I’ll never forget what you said to me at the start of our involvement with the Ala Mhigan resistance, ‘You still have a choice, but I fear that your participation will be the difference between winning this war and loosing it.’” She paused, letting the words sink in. Alphinaud looked sick, “Where was the choice in that statement? How could I have said no to that graciously?”

“Autumn… Amber I’m- really,” he looked down, “I’m sorry. I can’t help but feel that it is my fault.”

“It’s not entirely your fault.” She softened the blow, “You have a bad habit of trying to shoulder all the blame.”

“I could have asked you how you were doing. I could have done more,” Alisaie sniffed. “You’re always just so composed. Even though I saw the signs I never felt anything truly amiss. I’m sorry I didn’t notice.”

“Even though I’ve made a lot of changes, I’d like you to consider my wishes going forward. I realize that I cannot continue to be a Scion. Our interests simply do not align anymore. You cannot safely say that you are neutral entities for the destruction of primals.” She leaned back in her chair and unwound her tensing shoulders. “However, I do believe in this strongly and I will carry on with this basic creed… If you look past the aggressions of Garlemald, Emperor Varis is of a similar mind in this matter. If there is a primal threat – no matter where it is – it is my sincere hope that you can feel confident to ask for the aid of the Warrior of Light. Further, I will be a neutral party in any and all offensive measures by the Empire. I will not use my skills personally to advance their power nor will I betray the intelligence of the Alliance for their sake.”

“As a natural born princess of Garlemald, you have nothing to gain from that arrangement,” he said sourly.

She glared. “I realize that this decision cannot be made alone or taken lightly. So, please consider it with the other members.” She glossed over his question.

Yugiri finally spoke up, “and what of Doma?” her voice was bitter. “You freed Ala Mhigo, but Doma is crushed under the thumb of the Garleans now more than ever.”

In perfect Hingan she replied, “ _We only met recently, so you may not know much of me. Though I grew up in Nagxia. Originally, I was in an orphanage in Doma – all of this before the occupation. I know how it used to be_.” She closed her eyes. “I am fond of this area. Doma was… one of the happier places in my memories. It is selfish of me to want to stay here for a time. But I want you to know that I will be taking a personal interest in the wellbeing of Doma, and now have the power to do that. It will remain under Garlean rule, but I want to do my best to revitalize the splendor that was beaten out of it. It deserves a kind ruler for once.”

_“Zenos is not kind.”_

“ _Zenos wants little to do with ruling anything._ If you are open to it, I would have you consider joining me personally – not Garlemald in any capacity – to assist with rehabilitating the region. I don’t consider your freedom fighters criminals. I’ve grown to know you all well and know that you only want to end the suffering of your people.”

Yugiri sucked in a breath. “It is a lot to consider. That you dare ask me to even remotely associate myself with that thing,” her eyes flashed to Zenos, “is a hard request.”

“I understand. Please talk to Gosetsu; consider what is best for you and your fighters. Know that I wish to prevent unnecessary bloodshed. I know I have broken all of your trust by doing this. I hope to earn even a sliver of it back through my actions going forward.”

“You have always been well-intentioned.” Alphinaud was weary and resigned, “While it remains to be seen how that will carry forward in future matters, to my knowledge you have yet to act against Eorzea’s interests other than – of course – removing the services of its most skilled warrior.”

“I’m not some tool to be had.”

“You are not. The very reason we have gathered her today is proof of this.” He agreed. “I have seen you work your way up from nothing, and this… this will a blow to your moral character. I dare not begin to think about how the alliance will receive this information. But… if there is one thing I know about you it is that you are capable of amazing feats against amazing odds.”

“Aye,” she nodded, “I went from simple adventure to where I am today. Before I did so on the backs of other people’s ideas and desires. This time it will be by my hand.”

Alphinaud took to a cup of tea.

“I cannot help but feel immensely guilty for things happening this way.” Alphinaud admitted, “and I cannot bring myself to hate you despite how furious I am with the situation. You’ve done more for us than was ever necessary, and we were blessed for the time we did have you at our sides. It is painfully clear now that we took that blessing for granted.” His tone turned bitter in his moment of reflection. “I hate myself more for not realizing it before it was too late. As an overdue token of my gratitude for your service, and a paltry attempt to make amends with the wrongs against you, I promise you that I will try to arrange a meeting of the Alliance on your behalf so that you may defend yourself in person.”

“Alphy,” she brought her hands to her mouth in gratitude, “I do not deserve such compassion after my selfishness, but I… I don’t know what to say. Thank you.”

“Do not thank me,” he said softly, “There is nothing I can or will do to defend your actions. Despite emphasizing with your reasons, I ultimately condemn them. I do not hate you, but I am,” he drew into himself, fist pressed tight to his chest, “hurt, confused, I am angry.”

Alisaie stood up sharply bracing her hands against the table. “I need to excuse myself.” She ran to the door.

“Sister, wait!”

“She will be safe, fear not.” Autumn stood quickly and stepped out of the meeting room to find the young Scion.


	47. Chapter 47

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lovely reader told me that I accidentally posted chapter 44 twice, meaning you only got two new chapters yesterday, not three. Thanks Alyss_C! I went to post the real chapter 47, and accidentally posted chapter 48. Soooo whoops! This is the real chapter 47, triple, quadruple checked. I was reading and went hmmm, I'm definitely missing this scene... Man I'm really struggling >.<
> 
> chapter 3/3 for 2/16 (2/17)

“Alisaie?” Autumn saw he hunched form trembling in the hallway. She knelt down.

“Go away, I’m a mess.”

“Alisaie,” she said again tenderly, “I’m sorry.” She placed a careful hand on her shoulder.

“Why did you do it!? Are we really so horrible? Worse than Zenos? Zenos! Zenos for fucks sake!” She shrilled. “How did this happen!?”

“It’s my fault,” she shook her head.

“No, it’s not!” she cried, “We drove you to this, to Zenos. It could have been anyone but him, anything but Garlemald! I just,” she wheezed. “I keep wondering where the signs were, and how I missed them all.”

“He was that man you met when you disappeared wasn’t he,” Alisaie asked quietly.

Autumn pulled her in for a hug which the smaller elf did not resist. She did not deny anything. “It’s going to be okay. I’m not a hostage, you may see me again if you ever desire. I’m just moving on with my life a little bit.”

“I was a bad friend. I’m so sorry.” She sobbed.

“You weren’t a bad friend. If anything, I was. I closed off my heart to that a long time ago.” Alisaie sniffed.

Autumn gave her time. Once she began to calm down, “Let us go back inside. I really hate the idea of leaving Zenos alone with your brother and Yugiri.”

She choked in realization, “Oh gods!” She wiped her face on her sleeve.

The room they re-entered was filled with tense silence. Zenos was nonchalantly partaking in the cakes, pointedly ignoring the guests across the table. Alphinaud was watching him half with suspicion and half with wonder.

“How did you know I liked lemon?” The prince’s eyes perked up when he saw her.

“Because its sour like you are.” She teased him. “I’m happy to see that the room has not devolved into complete chaos.”

Alphinaud was scandalized, “How could you just walk out like that? Have you no fear for us?”

“As I told you, he is more than you know him to be. You have only ever met him on the battlefield. But even he has a favorite flavor of cake. You like chocolate, Alisaie likes rolanberry, and Yugiri - well I’m not sure about you actually.”

“It’s lemon.”

“So, you have something in common with your mortal enemy. Fascinating.” This was as close to friendly banter as Zenos would ever permit himself.

She tsked, “Don’t-”

“I will have some cakes wrapped up for you to take, then.”

Yugiri would later spend the better part of ten minutes staring at the cakes wrapped delicately in paper before squishing one between her fingers and throwing it in a splattered mess against the dirt walls of the House of the Fierce.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If any of you accidentally saw chapter 48 because you are speedy fast, congrats on sneaking an extra chapter in for the week! I'll post it properly next week as chapter 1/3. I'll let you know if anything changes content wise between now and then (probably not).


	48. Chapter 48

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Crap, I forgot to post yesterday. Chapter 1/2 for 2/24
> 
> If anyone accidentally saw this chapter yesterday, no changes have been made.

“You’re alive!” Lyse ran up to the trio, returned to the Doman resistance’s hideout.

Gosetsu, alerted by the commotion, came quickly as well, “Yugiri my friend, how were things?”

She looked at him and stalked off. Gosetsu made to follow.

“Leave her be for a little bit,” Alphinaud brought his hand up in a halting motion, “She has a lot to process.”

Lyse brought her hands to her lips seeing the weariness of her companions, “Pray tell us what happened? Did you see Autumn?”

“Hail and whole,” Alphinaud confirmed, “She is doing more than fine actually.”

“That’s… good?”

“It’s complicated,” he sighed. “Where do I even begin. Well, by the end of it, we reached a – dare I say – amicable understanding. We must make for Revenant’s Toll and call a meeting of the Scions immediately. She left us with an offer of aid that I cannot approve on my own.”

“Aid? I don’t understand?”

“I will give full details later, but the short of it is that she declared her resignation from the Scions but wishes to continue to aid in combatting future primal threats.”

“That’s…” Lyse was unsure, “She exchanged her life, I was sure she would be a hostage.”

“Hardly,” Alisaie kicked at the dirt. “Zenos is in love with her. He seems like he’d do just about anything to make her happy.”

“You saw him!?”

“Saw him?” Alphinaud took on an incredulous tone, “We sat across a table and shared tea. I watched him practically devour her in an obscene make out session, and then eat pastries with a most bored expression. It was... bizarre.”

Lyse furrowed her brow, “I’m not sure how you managed civility. I wouldn’t have been able to. I hate him with my whole being, that bastard.”

“And if we hadn’t, he would have ripped us limb from limb in seconds. They let us keep our weapons, Lyse. You know as well as I what that means. I wasn’t offended. It just made me feel… small.”

“Compared to them who isn’t?” Lyse agreed with a shake of her head. She was somber.

“I don’t want to talk about this more today. I’m such a wreck. I need to gather my thoughts.”

“Was there more then? You’re not telling me something.” She sounded concerned.

Alphinaud looked at her with glimmering eyes and walked away, “Alphinaud, wait!”

“Alisaie,” she turned to the other twin immediately, “what wasn’t he telling me. It may hurt but I need to know.”

“He took an emotional beating. He may not entirely look it, but he is really upset. You should leave him be…”

There was a pregnant silence, “Lyse,” she sounded tired, “her exchange wasn’t selflessly motivated. She wanted to leave and used your homelands as an excuse.”

“She’d rather be with Zenos than with us!? But we are her friends!”

“Autumn didn’t seem to agree.”

“What did that monster do to her?!” Lyse was stunned.

“It was a surprise to all of us. But I,” her voice cracked, “I should have seen it coming. I knew she was seeing someone, but to think that it was Zenos of all people…”

“She what!? She was seeing Zenos when you told me…?” Lyse was aghast. 

Alisaie fell to her knees, “-that was before,” she curled her hands in her hair, “If she knew him that long, she would have known about the slaughter at Rhalgr’s Reach and their fight was just for show. She knew-” Alisaie quivered, “She knew about the raid and did nothing.”

Lyse brought her hand to her mouth, “but that would mean! No, I simply can’t believe that. Autumn wouldn’t knowingly allow so many people to be slaughtered.”

“I don’t know,” Alisaie sat on the ground, “All I’ve learned is that we don’t know her at all.”


	49. Chapter 49

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2/2 for 2/24

“You were too nice to them,” Zenos chided her quietly in his bedroom.

“There are certain important things I want, and burning my bridges is not the easiest way to get them.”

“I know,” he ran his fingers through her hair, “But I still don’t like it. You should not lower yourself before others who are beneath you.”

“And that’s why no one likes you. You are too unwavering in your ways. I’m not afraid to take a softer approach.”

“I’m not afraid,” he corrected, “I’m just principled.”

“As you say.”

Zenos picked his hand up, “I choose to ignore that comment.”

“Wise man.” She turned to face him, placing her hands on his chest.

“The announcement has been made; my loose ends have been dealt with… more or less. I can – starting tomorrow – I should be able to walk around freely, yes? We can spar in the arena, too?”

Zenos brightened, “I would like that. I have greatly missed our battles, I long to try to kill each other earnestly.”

“Though our blades shall wait till tomorrow, I’d like to see your ferocity in other… areas.” Autumn stood on her toes and buried her head against Zenos’ neck “Today was particularly trying… and I find myself in need of comfort.”

He looked at her curiously, “If I say no, will your pent up energies be better spent tomorrow?”

She pouted, “No… I don’t believe that’s how it works. Do you not find yourself more focused after removing the… hmmm… distractions of the flesh?”

He was thoughtful, “I can’t say I have experienced the same problem you seem to be ailing from. So many variables to influence your performance, you are weaker for it.”

“You think sex makes you weak? Then why do you-”

“Need,” he cut her off, “Need makes you weak, not sex itself. But any needs really, not just those sexual… The more needs a body has and the more beholden it is to others for those needs, of course it is weaker than those more independent counterparts.”

“Nevertheless, I wish for you to be a strong sparring partner tomorrow,” He tugged her into his arms. “So, I will sate your need.” She felt his breath across the shell of her ear, and she shivered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a short week. I make up for it next week.


	50. Chapter 50

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 1/3 for 3/3
> 
> NSFW content segmented, summary in bottom notes

Walking through the airy halls of Doma castle freely was an uncomfortable and surreal feeling. Armor clicking softly with each unhurried step, it was one of many reasons that she was no longer inconspicuous. Without fail, every Garlean she passed was met with a salute. She ignored them because she didn’t want to deal with the meaning – that it was becoming very real very fast – and mostly because she could.

Zenos was waiting for her in the ring dressed fully in his matching set of nightmarish armor, helmet and all. He had his weapon rack propped up in the dirt. Dimly she registered a couple of attendants standing at the edge of the ring. She thought about her own dog following dutifully along behind her.

“You’re late.”

“I am unused to putting on this armor, forgive me.”

“Forgiven. That you are wearing it, I am pleased, though I am still impatient. Let us begin immediately.” He drew his Katana.

Autumn’s rapier was a familiar weight in her hand. She lazily swung the tip around, letting it rest in her opposite hand. Admittedly, she was itching for this fight. He was the insurmountable wall that could only serve as the true measure of her progress. No practice dummy could ever compare.

There was one slight miscalculation. She cringed inwardly as she stepped forward, gazing upon the prince’s blade’s edge shining in the overhead sunlight. Unlike a dummy, Zie would not give her a five second head start to cast her first spell. Her brain rapidly clicked through all the ways to remedy the situation, if she botched her burst opening, it would only leave her on the defensive and throw off her rhythm for the entirety of the match.

She would use her swift cast early, shave five seconds off her acceleration… he would not notice the cast if she kept her aetheric focus on her belt. That would have to do.

“Will you allow me the first move?” she asked lightly. Tapping the focus on her belt.

“If you desire it,” he turned his own blade in his hand, waiting for her.

She counted back ten seconds before quickly bringing up her rapier for the first set of spells.

_Jolt. Aero. Contre Sixte. Fleche._

She sidestepped his blow, sprinting away. Perhaps this modification was not half-bad. Higher mobility, minimal sacrifice to potency.

_Swiftcast. Thunder._

Fire and stone were up. She needed to save her displacement.

_Stone then._

He closed the distance in the time it took her to cast stone. She dodged again, sliding out of the way. She learned how to shave precious partial fractions off her cast time, like balancing her spells on a knifes edge.

_Aero. Corps-a-corps. Embolden._

She smirked. He would get to see what she had worked so hard for.

_Fire, Thunder, Stone, Thunder._

He was only testing the waters so far. She could only chip away at him with spells – potent, but the battle was not yet heated. She wanted to make him struggle just a bit, but for now he only wanted to appraise.

_Manafication. Displacement._ A full 15-fulms away from him, she had just enough time to sprint back for her sword skills.

She would lay all her cards on the table if he wanted to see. Her training improved her understanding of those skills, but the value of her time spent was in her refined judgement. Once he came at her in earnest, he would appreciate her efforts.

“One. Two. Three.” She whispered, moving through the combo at lightning speed. He parried the first and the second, but the third managed to elude him. She preened.

_Corps- Displacement._ She flew backwards again, leaving as quickly as she came. He was deadly up close, and she relished the chance to shuffle around her moves in reaction to a unique foe.

_Holy. Fleche –_ yes it was ready again.

_Swiftcast._ She prayed the gods would be on her side, she needed a precious few extra seconds before she could cast another acceleration.

_Thunder. Fire- good,_ getting what she wanted from that cast, she was relieved. She looked up. Strangely, he kept his distance. _Oh no. no no no_.

She could practically taste the levin in the air as he readied for Concentravity.

She braced herself with a Surecast, using this time as an opportunity to cast her spells, perhaps even two before he closed the distance.

The wave of aether hit, like a punch to the chest. The ground trembled in protest. Her legs felt leaded. The magics felt like a plume of burning steam to her lungs. She smiled. Blows from both sides – the fight had truly begun.

And he was indomitable. But she was no blade of grass in the wind.

He threw his other two swords down in the ground like infernal nails, buffeting her with their internal magics, giving her three problems instead of just the one. She was ready to be pushed.

Dodging his attacks was a test of her iron will. She could almost feel when the aether bursts were coming, and yet she had to hold firm and fire her next spell, or her scurrying around would be only that.

She felt heat at her back when she finally lunged forward, narrowly dodging his passive attacks.

She brought her blade to parry. He was strong. She felt the way he forced her down, his iron grip a reflection of his iron will to force her to submit.

She lunged for him quickly, swiping him with her blade, earning her a hit of her own that made her wheeze. She would not stop for damage. She knew how much she could take.

Just as she chipped away at him, he chipped away at her. It was a much slower rate than ever before, but that added time to their duel only served to hasten her demise. Arms growing weary, body protesting the taxing draw of aether, soon she was unable to parry him with earnest.

The right ended with her tossed down into the dirt. Rather than bringing his blade to bear, he kicked her in the side, forcing her to abandon her spell, and sending her careening to the ground. His blade pointed at her throat was a familiar sight.

She lay down, letting her rapier roll from her grip a few ilms away from her.

“You have improved.” He judged her fairly while putting his weapon away.

“I wasn’t sitting by idly waiting for you to pick me up like a besotted teenager,” she teased, slowly coming up to a seat.

Walking to her side quickly, he took of his helmet and tossed it down with a clang. A dissonant melody could be heard, in tandem they both looked towards the irregular sound. She had cleaved off a piece of his helmet.

He giggled – it was the only way she could describe the sound. She could see small beads of sweat on his forehead, when he knelt at her side, joining her in the dirt. She swelled with pride at her progress. And he looked… ready to devour her. Her heart thrummed wildly.

He ripped off her helmet, pressed her body into his and dove his tongue into her mouth.

“Could I take you right here, I would.” He growled, a thin trail of saliva snapping between them.

“Horny from battle?” she giggled.

“It’s not… it’s different. I need to dominate you. I feel the urge to make you submit to me, to kill you, to devour you, to fuck you all at the same time. I feel so alive.”

Autumn closed the distance between their lips again, smiling into their embrace. “Well I can take care of a few of those things.”

Turning her head away she barked, “All of you have 60 seconds to be scarce! No one is to disturb us for 20 minutes or so.”

They watched mirthfully as the servants and posted soldiers ran like scattering ants.

“We have some privacy if you’d like to make good on that promise.” She smirked, pulling off her gauntlets and letting them fall to the arena floor.

“Twenty minutes?” He raised a brow.

“Have you used up all of your stamina in the fight?” She provoked him in a mocking tone.

Zenos started ripping at her armor with expert precision.

“I’m going to destroy you just like this,” he growls, pushing his belt aside and unfastening his codpiece.

“Wait,” He stands up, inclining his head. Rapidly he pulls a blade from his boot and launches it high across the arena to his three o’clock position.

Autumn heard a scream.

<<NSFW through end of chapter>>

\---------------------

“I warned them.” She dropped to her knees. Zenos pushed her down and thrust into her without preparation. She howled. The stretch and burn of her unprepared hole, felt amazing to her weary and numb body.

She touched herself while he pounded into her. Soon the sharp pain of his hard armor slapping against her thighs, the way his clawed gloves dug into her hips, the burn of her sensitive cunt become a searing seat.

“Zenos – fuck! – It’s too much, I’m going to-”

He pushed her hands away. And pulled out of her quickly, “You are just dripping wet for me.”

“Only for you,” she panted out. Her arms trembled as she fought to hold her own body weight up.

He smeared her creamy lubricant up and down his length before lining up the tip to tease her entrance.

“Hah,” she panted in frustration, “please!”

He ripped one of his gloves off with his teeth and dove down to tease her inflamed nub himself. “You are at my mercy, little dragon.”

“Please, please!” she cried, “I was so close.”

“I like it when you beg me.”

“Zenos, shut up and fuck me!” she yelled at him, sexually frustrated to the nth degree. She felt him push just the tip in and sighed when she felt the familiar snap of her entrance welcoming the added girth of the head.

She pushed her hips backwards against his length. He moaned in not unwelcome surprise.

He found that he loved it when she rutted against him like some kind of animal. The first time they bonded fully, she bounced on top of him wantonly, taking what she wanted from him. Now, watching her thrust her hips back frantically, tail wrapping around his leg to chain him down to her desires it made him feel like he was the one being devoured. He loved it. He loved feeling… valued.

“You are going to take me just like this,” he buried himself to the hilt, eliciting a whiny gasp from his partner. “So greedy. Are you submitting to me, beast?”

“I never go down without a fight.”

He grabbed her tail, wrapped it around his hand and drilled into her. Her display of will was what would push him to the edge.

He felt her clamping down on him, not…oh, ooh. He hissed, stopping his thrusting, lest she succeed in forcing his orgasm. Needing punishment, he slapped her firmly across the ass leaving a bright red mark against her milky skin that would surely bruise.

She half-moaned half-cried out. Only she could stand up to him, this was no less false with her legs spread, him greedily wailing upon her supple flesh. The thought of ruining something so entirely perfect was too dangerous a thought to dwell on, just the mention of it caused a surge of want, pushing him dangerously close to the edge.

“You don’t get to decide when I’m done, minx.”

She forced herself backwards to rut. He breathed deeply. Of course, he never wanted obedience. She knew exactly what he wanted. But this, she would undo him if he did not stop her.

“Are you going to be a good girl? I’ll let you touch yourself.”

“Yes, Zenos! Yes!” he let her more practiced hands take over her own pleasure.

He thrusted again, “Good. Be selfish. Take what you want like an animal.”

Her legs quivered; he could feel her clenching up around him uncontrollably – it was different and stuttering, not the vicious attack from before. With his armored hand he grabbed her neck and squeezed, hearing her wheeze and cough.

He thought about squeezing the life out of her while her body was trembling from orgasm. Oh, how she cried out, wasting what precious few breaths were left available to her.

Not moments later, he spilled into her with a grunt, releasing his vice-like grip. He heard her sharp intake of air and spluttering, the heavy heaving of her chest.

She pulled off his cock far sooner than he would have liked, and he hissed at her indelicacy. Come still dribbled out of his slit. He held his half-hard leaking member in his hand and closed his eyes, rolling in the pleasure of her velvety tongue. She lapped up what remained – covered in her own juices. It was demeaning, absolutely filthy. She was the picture of perfection on her knees, suckling on his spent manhood.

Semen stickied the inside of her thighs and dripped down into white beads on the packed dirt floor. Zenos undid his half skirt and threw it at her – the closest thing they had to a towel.

She laughed and used it without hesitation.

Autumn was grateful for the help shimming back into her suit of armor. Her limbs were like jelly, and her dexterity was shot. It was the little things, how he would brush the hair off the nape of her neck to prevent it from tugging or snagging, or how he thoughtfully adjusted the sleeves of her base layer to prevent the material from bunching uncomfortably. When they were like this, she felt so domestic. Even he could be tender.

“Go clean up.” He said, wadding up the blood red bustle of fabric lent to her and shoving it in her arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOL breaks off a piece of Zenos' helmet and he has very strong feelings about that.


	51. Chapter 51

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2/3 for 3/3  
> Warning: Briefly mentioned non-con, underage. 
> 
> As promised from last week, this week's content is pretty long with this chapter and then next being back-to-back on the longer end compared to my normal scene lengths.
> 
> Get some tragic backstory revealed, all the good stuff. My characters always need to suffer.

“Your highness,” a petite Hyuran maid appeared in the doorway with a curtsy only minutes after wiggling out of her armor from morning training, “There is a young female Elezen at the gates demanding to see you. What should we do about her?”

Autumn frowned at the phrasing of her announcement but brushed it off. “Alisaie?” she wondered aloud, “Please have her escorted inside as a guest. Bring her to…” she paused to think, “Is there a private sitting room you recommend?”

“There is a terrace in the southern wing of the building that is lesser used, My Lady.”

“Have her escorted there then. Send only maids to fetch her. No guards.”

“Certainly, your highness.” She bowed and retreated.

She spoke up to the maid arranging her hair, “I apologize, but it would seem we are short on time. Are you able to modify this hairstyle to be done quickly?”

The girl pulled a hairpin out which held a coil of carefully arranged and twisted hair. “If I take that bun out, and then gather it like this, it will look… acceptable. It is normal for guests to wait on their highnesses, so you should not feel distressed by causing delay.”

“Hmm, I will bear that in mind.” She agreed passively. “I’ll return to have you finish later. I feel like I need your seal of approval now.”

“Your highness is considerate.”

When Autumn stepped through the sliding door leading to the stone terrace, Alisaie was already nervously stalking back and forth across itself length. “Alisaie, have you come alone? What is the matter?”

“I need to know,” she said stiffly, “You didn’t deny it – that Zenos was that man you were seeing. Is it true?”

She hesitated, wondering where her line of inquiry would lead them, “Yes, it is true.”

She looked even more distressed, “Did you know about the ambush? If you knew him before then surely, he would have warned you, right!? Did you let all those people die! Did you do nothing to stop him!” Her quiet rage slowly grew in volume until she was shouting.

Autumn stepped forward softly, “I did not know he was Prince Zenos until the day I fought him at Rhalgr’s Reach.” Alisaie looked marginally relieved, “Truthfully, he did not know I was the Warrior of Light either until that day. Come now Alisaie,” she had managed to put a hand on her shoulder, “I may have committed a horrible betrayal by choosing to remain by Zenos’ side, but do you really think I would sit by idly and prevent avoidable deaths? If I knew about the ambush, I never would have gone on that expedition with Pipin. I would have tried to evacuate the Reach.”

“I’m sorry I accused you of something so horrible.” She deflated, “I’m still furious with you – for Doma, for all of your lies since Gyr Abania.”

“I sense that you have more questions,” she noted, “I’m a bit pleased that you were bold enough – no – angry enough to march your way into the castle. I should hope to make your risk fruitful.”

Alisaie paled in embarrassment, “I was so furious. I am furious,” she bit out, “I worked myself into a tizzy last night thinking about all the possibilities. The more I thought, the darker those thoughts became. How long did you two…” Alisaie looked to Autumn, hoping she needed no further explanation.

“We had been seeing each other for… goodness… a little over a month. I met him on my A-rank hunt near Ala Ghana. We spent time together just after that on the S-rank hunt when I was gone for so long. We were friends, blissfully ignorant friends. And then…” she twisted her fingers in front of her, “We… became a little bit more than friends. And by that point I was in so deep – trust me, Alisaie, I felt immensely guilty – not so much when we were friends, but it just happened so fast. I thought about our relationship one evening and I realized that it didn’t look good and it wouldn’t benefit me to out myself.”

“Gods,” Alisaie put her hand to her temple, “you’re so… stupid! You shouldn’t have even… why? How did you become friends with that thing?”

“Like I said, when we met, he was not the prince, and I was not the warrior of light. He saw a talented partner that could keep up with him. I saw him as a challenge I wanted to aspire to beat. He is not a thing.” She stressed that word, so many people quick to dehumanize him, “He saved me, Alisaie. I was miserable, depressed, empty and he makes it all bearable.”

“We really never knew you, did we?” she muttered quietly. “Will you… I know it’s a bit too late but…” she fluttered her eyes, “will you tell me about yourself. You said there was so much to learn about you if we just asked so…” she exhales heavily, swallowing her pride, “I’m asking.”

Autumn moved to take a seat, beckoning Alisaie to do the same. “What do you wish to know?”

“What did you tell Yugiri? She seemed pained by what you said.”

Autumn huffed, “Inadvertently we go right to the heart of things… You know that I am from the east, I was born in Kugane. I left it at that. I suppose you assumed that I grew up in Kugane.”

“Did you… not?”

“No. There is no place for orphan children in Kugane.”

“I knew that your mother had passed, but…”

“Passed,” she replied back softly, disparagingly. “From the moment I was born I feel like she was trying subconsciously to kill me.” She touched the shell of her ear. “It was obvious I was a mongrel bastard. I had my tail and a few patches of scales, but I also had ears and a nice round, under-formed eye on my forehead.” She caught the girl staring at her forehead. “Back then the bump was a bit more noticeable because I was severely underfed. It took her six years to work up the courage, the spite… It took her six years to steel her conscience. She could not kill a child, but she could kill a monster. I was ‘the spitting image of my father.’” 

Alisaie was stunned into silence.

“She told me that it was all his fault and then she drank a vial of poison. She tried to force me to drink one too, but I was scared. And… her strength started to fade. She could not force it down my throat before she collapsed. So,” Autumn’s voice perked up, “I was shipped off to an orphanage in Doma. This was maybe half a year before the invasion.”

“I’m sorry,” she curled her hands into fists in her lap, “I had no idea. To watch your own mother kill herself, to be told it was your fault, to think you were hiding such a past!”

“Tis only the beginning unfortunately. Don’t start feeling sorry for me too early. Despite what she did, I was so young. I could only love her. What child doesn’t love their mother at that age. They know no better.”

“Right,” Alisaie composed herself, “What of Doma, then? Do you remember what it was like there?”

“I was young, very young, but yet…” Autumn nodded, “I told Yugiri as much. It pained her to realize just how much I understood about the plight of Doma. I remember…” she smiled, “I remembered because those were good memories. Enough food to eat, friends to play with, pleasant caretakers. Doma was a bountiful place back then, full of happy people.”

She continued, “Once the occupation started, it wasn’t safe for children. The Garleans were rounding up forgettable characters and forcing them into labor camps in Nagxia. Many of us fled to Nagxia actually. The Ruby Sea was too inhospitable and even if I could have managed to find a ship, Kugane would never open its doors to a poor refugee. Nagxia was relatively stable and close by. If you were not en route to Nagxia as a slave, you could blend in with the local Aan. For a child, it was a manageable thing. I was just old enough to be able to keep up with the older kids who were fleeing, and so I got to go too. I got lucky.”

“As a child…” Alisaie commented, “After all of that I find it hard to believe you are okay with realigning yourself with the empire.”

Autumn shook her head, a pained smile on her face suggesting more than meets the eye.

“Nagxia was… horrible. The people there hated Garleans as much any Gyr Abanian would. Similarly, they hated traitors who allied themselves with the imperials more. …What do you think they thought of a mongrel bastard?” She smiled ruefully. “I was a pariah, starving, homeless and suffering." She laguhed ruefully, "I fought dogs for garbage. All because I was too Auri to be Garlean, too Garlean to be… well to just be. On the streets all I could do was watch. There were others… not quite like me, but better off – those of impure blood. While a far cry from the privileges of purebloods, they were treated as proper citizens… as long as they looked the part. So, I became like them, I talked like them, acted like them, hid my tail, covered my scales, did anything I could to pass. And I was successful, successful enough to scrape together enough of a bribe for citizenship papers.” Her words turned bitter, “Turns out I didn’t even need my gil.” Her expression soured. “Money was not his… preferred pleasure.”

The girl’s hand flew to cover her open mouth, “You did this? You were a child!”

Autumn nodded solemnly, “I was… maybe 14... or 15. It was the last time I would ever need to resort to such a thing. Those papers giving me a proud middle name ‘bas’ changed my life. I could legally apply for higher paying jobs; I was protected by the guards from the Aan who had always abused me. No one in the West wants to hear tales of their kind being the menace, they don’t want to know that their Warrior of Light was sympathetic to Garlemald for a time. They definitely don’t want to know that I was willing to be molested to escape the hatred of the people they count amount their kin.”

“Everyone wonders why I’m so adamant about keeping my middle name – that’s why. I cast aside my shame, my pride, my innocence, everything to earn that title and survive.” Autumn shook, brimming with repressed emotion that surprised even her.

Alisaie had a question on the tip of her tongue, but the startling revelations halted her. How could she even express how she felt in response? She did not know.


	52. Chapter 52

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3/3 for 3/3... heh.

“I heard we had a rather noisy kitten pounding on our gates,” Zenos pushed through the doorway unannounced. Wide-eyed, Alisaie stood up from her chair and shrunk back behind Autumn, putting her back to the railing.

“You won’t survive a jump from that height elf,” he sounded amused. “Come and face me. I should be utterly disappointed if you do not offer me any sport before your death.”

“No jumping, no fighting. She will have a 100% chance of survival today, dearest.” Autumn guided Alisaie back to her original spot, pulling her into their small circle of conversation.

“Lord Zenos,” she glared.

“Hatred is such a… cute look on you child,” he tilted her head up with the tips of his fingers. His lips curled up into a smirk when her eyes widened in pure terror.

“Enough, Zenos.” Autumn pushed his arm away. “What brings you here to interrupt our discussion?”

“I can see my lovely wife whenever I please.”

“And somehow,” she rolled her eyes, “I get the sense that it is not I you seek entertainment from. -Well!” she clapped her hands together to stifle any protest he thought to give, “now that you’re here maybe it would be healthy for both of you to get to know one another.”

“Why-I should-don’t I-want make-to conversation-talk with-to that savage-monster!” they said in unison.

“Zie, I can’t have you terrifying the Scions. I want them to feel safe enough to be able to come visit when they need me. Alisaie, I know you don’t like him, but so far, you’re the only one brave enough to come marching in her to give me a piece of your mind. I want to show people that you are not just an unfeeling monster.”

“Bold of you to assume that I am more than that,” he quipped.

She chided, “You feel – loathe as you are to admit it – and you’re stronger for it.”

Alisaie crossed her arms. “Alright then, I assume I’m trapped here until you’re satisfied, so what do you want me to say?”

“Let’s talk about something you both have in common… me.” She gestured to herself. “Zenos, what do you love about me?”

“You’re the only person that might be able to best me in a battle.”

“If that’s the only thing you can think of, we are getting a divorce.” She glared at him.

“Why should I share private details of our relationship?”

“Don’t pretend like you care about that,” She continued to glare, “For our next sparring session, I will wait one day per minute you delay.”

“I am unaccustomed to being ordered around by you,” he frowned.

She tapped her foot. Alisaie watching with rapt attention for their exchange.

Zenos sighed, “I care more about battle than talk, thus I will defer to my Lady’s judgement. I love my wife because she likes me. Not even my own father likes me. I found myself curiously attached to such an aberrant creature.”

“Aberrant creature, really?” she sighed, long used to his peculiarities, “That’ll do. I’m actually very touched.” She turned to Alisaie, “Your turn, what do you… did you like about me, Alisaie?”

“I think I admired you… no – I did admire you. I was weak when you first joined the Scions. I stayed out of my brother’s way, I needed to be protected. You were just someone I aspired to be like. Because even though you were strong when we met, you’ve become immensely more powerful and have touched so many lives since then. I thought that if I could have even a sliver of the power you managed to collect, I too would be able to do… something, to be more than just a weak girl in her brother’s shadow.”

“God’s, this is embarrassing,” she sniffed.

“Alisaie, I had no idea you felt that way. I wish…. Well it is all in the past isn’t it. I hope to become someone worthy of your admiration again.”

“That’s just it though,” she laughed dryly, “I still admire you. Even though I want to hate you, I can’t. You still inspire me, and I hate it. You’ve done something terrible, nigh unforgivable, and all I can think is how amazing you are to risk everything again and again, and then to abdicate with our mortal enemy, poised to become the biggest peacekeeper this era has ever seen.”

“She is far more accomplished than I. I lack the drive for such trivialities.” Zenos concurred.

Alisaie jumped, hearing his words turn in her direction. She nodded, “I’ve been told you only care for battle. It would seem this is true. Why, then, would you become the ruler of two nations?”

He scoffed, “A pointless question.”

Alisaie was thoughtful, “Forgive me, as his only heir, he would want you to have some practical experience I suppose.”

Zenos knew his father thought him a blight. He knew the answer to be along those lines more than any noble duty to diligent study of governance, but to make that correction was a waste of breath. “I never thought I’d hear a Scion ask my forgiveness,” He turned to Autumn, “You’ve successfully amused me, my dear.”

“You’ve talked to each other without hostilities, I’ve achieved my goals.” She ignored him, “Alisaie, shall I walk you to the gates? Zenos, you are welcome to join us, but I think you’d rather not.”

“Rejoin me anon, dearest.”

Standing between the two large pillars of the castle’s entrance, Autumn bid Alisaie farewell, “Even if to demand answers of me, thank you for coming, for believing me you could come. Doma castle is open to the Scions.”

“It’s bizarre seeing Zenos, truly bizarre. He will never be an ally to us, but he can no longer be foe either. We have so much hate and pain with nowhere to go because you’ve chopped its legs off.”

“I hope that some good can come of my selfish decision then.”

Alisaie huffed, “I cannot berate you for being selfish. After all, she turned and face the ragged landscape, our impossible expectations and your impossible selflessness… it seems as plain as day now that you had cause to crack and under that kind of pressure.” She shook her head, “I’m trying,” she looked at Autumn with swimming eyes, “I really am trying to comprehend all of this. I’m trying not to explode with rage and pain because I feel betrayed. Because then we wouldn’t have learned anything from our mistakes. We’re only allowed to be mad at ourselves, but it’s hard to accept that blame.”

“I expected much worse than what I have received and am stunned by both yours and your brother’s maturity in all of this.”

“It has never felt truer when you said we knew nothing about you. Zenos interrupted, but would you tell me why you left? You hadn’t the chance to finish.”

“I left because Nagxia was still awful even with my elevated status. I earned enough money as a hunter to bribe the border patrol, pay for a ship to Kugane, the tithe, and then finally to Thanalan. I left before it was too late. Once things in Doma settled down, the borders tightened up. It became harder and harder to leave.”

“I have seen the ugly side to both parties in this war and I have learned that there is not one person completely in the right or completely in the wrong. I think that is what has left a bitter taste in our mouths.” Autumn summarized.

All Alisaie could do was nod. “It all seems so surreal. I have grown up sheltered by comparison it seems. It is hard to fathom when none of us spare you have felt so acutely the ills of this conflict.”

Autumn nodded, “Have a safe journey back to… I presume the House of the Fierce? I would offer an escort but…”

“An escort by a very high-ranking _Imperial_ to a secret _resistance_ base would be a horrible idea.” She joked.

“Indeed.” Autumn smiled and watched Alisaie until she was down the steps completely before turning back to rejoin prince Zenos on the terrace.

“Zie, I’ve sent her away. Hopefully we won’t be bothered unofficially for some time.”

He looked at her with an unreadable and bored expression, “I did not enjoy being ordered around by you.”

“So, you’ve given thought to what happened?” In her absence servants must have set the table with an assortment of teas. She selected a variety for herself and began to prepare her cup. “Aught have you to share?”

“I suspect you have your own reasons for forcing me to bend to you. I may be singularly focused, but I’m not dim.” He twirled his own teacup around his finger.

She fluttered her eyes downward and took a sip before responding, “I do. I’m glad you picked up on that or we could have had a right mess on our hands earlier. I don’t think it is right for either of us to order each other around – worry not. Some might make an argument that you can order me around as your subordinate, but… I think you would look weaker for it.”

Zenos leaned back, not considering this angle fully, “That is an interesting perspective. I am unused to worrying about another person...” what ever he had left to say was deemed unnecessary.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to move my update days to Wednesdays, I will update the summary with the change. Lately, Eden has been making Tuesday evenings a bit cramped for me.


End file.
